Alexandra and the Gods of Earth
by Memoirs.From.A.Late.Author
Summary: The Guardians are confused when Man in Moon decides it's time for a new Guardian. Especially when the young spirit is chosen at a time of (relative) peace. Something dark is taking place on Earth; put in motion thousands of years ago. Now the Guardians and their newest member must hurry before the Moon is swallowed whole. Eventual JackXOc
1. All the King's Men

**All the King's Men**

But that will be a long time from now, and soon now we shall go out of the house and go into the convulsion of the world, out of history into history and the awful responsibility of Time. –Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men

_Earth is a loving and kind provider. She silently watches over her creations and smiles in pride at her work. And like a mother with her newborn child, she would never allow anything to put her diverse and unaware creatures in harms way. __The great Beast fell to her planet in a blazing light from the heavens, waves of darkness and chaos following in its wake. Earth watched as the Beast crawled out of its crater hungering for nothing more than pain and destruction._

* * *

Mahrem's body crashed to the ground in a blaze of fiery red energy. The ground cracked and the trees splintered under his force. The large, dark skinned man groaned in pain from the multiple burns he sustained as the red energy died away like dust in the wind. Mahrem rolled on to his side and curled around the large wound on his stomach. The woolen, African burnouse, that covered half of the man's muscled chest, was singed black and torn to shreds. The matching woolen pants, once a dark green, and red sash had met a similar fate. Mahrem opened his golden eyes to the night air at the sound of a light chuckle.

"My, my, brother! How the mighty have fallen."

"Prometheus. Don't do this! Rethink your gains! The deaths of all our sisters and brothers! For what? What could that _beast_ have offered you, for all this bloodshed!?" Mahrem's deep voice cried out into the darkness

The light chuckle echoed across the desolate ruins of what had once been Mahrem's home. A figure closed in to the broken form of the once African god.

"Let me think," the light voice laughed from the figure. "What could I possibly want from an all powerful God stuck beneath this pitiful planet's crust?"

"Ranamorr is not a God, brother. He is nothing more than parasite, feeding on the people of this world. You of all people should know this! You were there when we cast him into the pit! Our Mother tasked us-"

Prometheus hand struck the side of Mahrem's face before grasping the cloth across his chest. The olive toned man crouched down before he yanked the bigger man's face off the ground and closer to his own.

"_SHE_ is no longer my mother," He whispered with venom. "When we saved her dying planet and rescued those pathetic creatures from becoming nothing more than chow, what did we receive?"

Prometheus threw Mahrem back into the dry dirt before turning his back on him. He ran his long, spidery fingers through his thick, honey brown hair. It had become slicked with sweat and covered in dust in their previous battle.

"Fame, love, and worship from those weak, bipedal primates! We were Gods!"

"We _are_ gods, Prome-"

"No! …We _were."_

* * *

_Ranamorr, as her humans called it, tore down her mountains and boiled her seas. Her creatures, all of them, screamed. The beast could not be swayed by glory or treasure, it only thirsted for fear._

* * *

"Open your eyes Mahrem! The humans have grown to conquer this rock and have cast us aside once they have gotten what they need from us. They no longer believe, because of _HER!_"

Prometheus took a calming breath before casting his blood red eyes back on his fallen brother.

"Don't you understand? They no longer see us, because she made it so!"

His dark red cloak, fastened by two large, golden buttons on his shoulders, flowed behind him like a river of blood. His heavy black boots crushed stone into dust as he made his way across the destroyed architecture. Mahrem's eyes fell from his brother's face to the golden belt wrapped twice around his waist. Under the red cloak and attached by the belt, was a black scepter, no longer than Mahrem's arm. An ice white stone held by the scepter's black, finger like branches, topped its thin, wooden, cylindrical shaft. Prometheus caught the gaze of Mahrem's sight. He pulled his cloak back to further show off the scepter.

"This, my dear brother, is what Ranamorr has offered me."

With a loving smile, Prometheus pulled the scepter from its belt and whipped it through the air. He brandished it in his left hand and held it aloft like a wand. The ice white stone began to swim with light emerging from its core. Nine different colors of energy, ranging from dark green to powdered pink, slithered like snakes inside the stone and across its surface.

"For every _god_ I wipe off the face of this planet, I gain his energy."

"You would kill your siblings for their power!?" Mahrem yelled in anger at the deranged man.

"Not their power. Their _energy,_ their life!"

Prometheus sliced the scepter through the air. A wave of colors, like a rainbow of smoke, followed.

"I will raise Ranamorr from the Tartarean Pit and he will swallow the moon, ending the reign of the once gods. We will take this planet back from the humans. _I WILL HAVE MY NAME KNOWN!"_

Mahrem shook in disbelief. He had never seen him so lost in power. He had failed Prometheus as a brother. His time was running out. Hidden from view, Mahrem clenched his fist and began to draw his remaining power into something physical. Golden dust flowed like smoke, similar to the colors of energy in Prometheus' scepter, solidified in his closed fist and began to take shape. With his eyes glued on the bright stone, Prometheus missed the man rolling onto his knees a weapon in his hand. A spear, taller than either of the men's height and made completely of golden energy, was flung from Mahrem's hand, aimed at his brother's head.

Without so much as a glance, Prometheus moved his right hand at the spear, a mere centimeters from his skull. With the flick of his wrist, his hand glowed with dust, similar to Mahrem's but shaded in the same blood red of his eyes. The weapon halted its progress through the air and shattered without a sound. The spear pieces dispersed into its original golden dust form before being sucked into the scepter's stone top.

"Oh, brother," Prometheus laughed. "Don't be so quick to _die."_

* * *

_From her own energy, she created 12 lights to protect the planet's inhabitants. The lights worked together in order to break the Beast's power. As punishment for the torment the planet and its creatures went through, the Beast was thrown into the planet's core to burn for all eternity. The beast would try many times over the multiple millennia to escape and bring destruction to its prison, but it would never succeed, not fully. Though it would influence many dark times as the world continued to turn, Her 12 lights would always be there. They would never allow for the Beast's cell to be opened._

* * *

With the scepter in his left hand and his right clenched in a blood red dust, Prometheus threw his arms to the sky, then towards the ground. The Earth itself began to move as hands of pure rock, stronger than iron, gripped Mahrem by his arms and neck, preventing him from moving. This, of course, did not stop him from trying. Mahrem shook and pulled under the stone's hands. His large muscles did nothing against the indestructible hold.

"Ranamorr is a liar, brother! He will not stop until he swallows this planet. He is poisoning your mind for his own gain. Do not let him control you!"

"Oh, it's far to late for that," Prometheus smiled at his handy work. "His influence courses through my veins and drives its way into my brain. And you know what?"

Prometheus twirled the scepter in his left hand and cast his red eyes around the ruins that had once been Mahrem's home. The great palace, now nothing more than rubble, laid hidden in the Kilimanjaro Mountain Range of Tanzania. Thick clouds separated the ground from view, leaving nothing but open night sky.

"I _like _it."

Prometheus placed the head of the scepter at Mahrem's heart. The ice white stone lit up with the energy of his fallen brothers and sisters.

"Prometheus, NO!"

"Goodbye, brother. I can't say I'm sad to see you go."

Mahrem's body spasmed then stiffened as the rock hands crumbled away. His mouth opened in a silent scream and he turned his gaze skyward towards the moon. He closed his eyes and made a silent request to the bright disk in the night sky. Golden dust seeped from his skin just as it did when he created the spear. Like smoke in a breeze, billows of the golden dust flowed from Mahrem's dying body to the stone center of Prometheus' gifted scepter.

* * *

_Each of her 12 lights took on their own forms and responsibilities. Some took the forms of animals while others took the forms of humans. One light even took a celestial form in order to better watch over the planet. The lights were to protect the humans and guide them through their ever evolving lives. Each light devoted itself to one of the 12 different aspects they believed were best for human growth._

_ Creativity_

_Knowledge_

_ Compassion_

_Virtue_

_Change_

_Freedom_

_Fortune_

_Curiosity_

_Camaraderie_

_Providence_

_Perseverance_

_Courage_

_Humans worshipped the lights as Gods and Goddesses who lent their power in times of need. As time went on, Earth forced her lights to take a step back as humans needed to survive and grow on their own. The lights would forever watch over the planet and help those in need from afar._

* * *

As the last of Mahrem's body dispersed into golden dust and collected into the scepter, Prometheus turned his gaze to follow his brother's last line of sight. There, in the sky, was the moon, full, bright, and ever watching. Prometheus smirked at the moon as Mahrem's body completely disappeared.

"Do not fret brother, you're up next."

* * *

_Alexandra_

On the other side of the world, a face broke through the warm waters of the Brazilian, Patanal Swamp. Lungs gasped for air and hands grasped for a purchase along the muddy waterside. A girl, no older than 18, pulled herself out of the still, swamp waters and onto the somewhat drier lands. Moss squelched between her fingers and under her knees as she dragged herself through the muggy, humid air. Taking a giant lungful of sweet oxygen, the girl looked around at her surroundings in confusion. Trees, thick and tall, loomed over the swamp edge and created a dense, dark canopy. Sounds of life buffeted her ears in the forms of flapping wings, twigs snapping under paws, and something heavy slithering across the rainforest floor. The girl smiled at the sounds and sights, she even laughed. She was happy, as if she had missed the sensory knowledge or had believed she would never experience them again.

That struck her as odd. Why would she miss sounds and sights? It then occurred to her that she had actually never experienced anything she was experiencing before. She couldn't remember ever feeling the thick, muddy foliage between her fingers or even the smell of damp wood before. Had a swamp just birthed her?

The girl cast her gaze to her toes, where the mother waters (she guessed) lay a few inches away. At the sight of her bare feet, she began to notice her attire. Her legs, from the arches of her feet to the middle of her thighs, were wrapped in strips of long, dark red linen that covered black tights underneath. Her torso was hidden by a tight, ivory colored hoodie with a wide hood that hung on her back. The same strips of red linen on her thighs covered her arms from mid palm to right under her elbows. A red sash tied around her waist tied together under her belly button. The two, thick ends of the sash hung freely from the knot to just above her knees. She pulled herself back to the water's edge to see her reflected face. The girl's skin, what little of it she could see, was the same light brown as the trees that surrounded her. A long dark braid swung over her shoulder, ending just above her sash. Casting her gold eyes from the water to her waist, the girl knotted her hands in the hanging sash. It seemed different somehow. It was different than the rest of her clothes, like it belonged to someone else. She scanned her eyes across the material, looking for what, she didn't know. It was soft and unblemished.

_Alexandra_

The girl jumped and spun around, landing on her butt half in, half out of the water. She twisted her head, looking for the source of the deep voice.

_I am so…sorry._

Was the voice talking to her? Alexandra cast her gaze to the sky, expecting to see an angel or something else more ridiculous. Gloomy, impenetrable clouds blocked out any light from the night sky. The moon and stars were hidden completely from sight.

Alexandra waited sometime for something to appear. Not another sound was heard from the deep voice that called out to her.


	2. Song of Solomon

**Song of Solomon**

For now she knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it. –Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

* * *

~85 years later~

To say Jack was irritated would be an understatement. It was the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and where was he? Stuck in Santoff Clausen on _official_ Guardian business. The meeting had been going on for what seemed like hours now, and this small spirit's speech (torture they were all being subjected to) was constantly interrupted by his own stammering and clumsy fingers- ugh,…wings.

Aanka, a saw-whet owl spirit who stood no taller than The Sandman's waist, had flown from his home in central Mexico to the North Pole in order to bring news about…well, Jack wasn't exactly sure what the owl spirit had wanted. Aanka kept dropping the multiple books, crystals, and scrolls he had brought on his trip and kept tripping over his words and feet. Jack was pretty sure this had to do with the fact that his hands were essentially his wings and his talons were way to big for a bird his size. Honestly, and though he would never admit it out loud, the tiny bird was cute. Like a bumbling, nervous character in the various cartoon movies he had seen while spending time with Jamie. Speaking of Jamie, Jack really needed to get going. Bouncing his foot impatiently, he raised his head off the palm of his hand as he glanced around at the others.

Toothiana, who sat nearest him, quietly whispered to the five or so mini fairies that had tagged along, giving various directions to all four corners of the globe. North, at the head of the table, sat with his massive arms crossed over his even more massive chest and seemed to be reconsidering taking the request of audience for the little bird. The Sandman, next to North, had nodded off long ago, his golden head tipping off the side every so often. Bunnymund, who sat opposite Jack at the long table, was growing just as impatient as the winter spirit. The large Pooka pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, yer saying your were…robbed?"

The small owl snapped his beak shut, nodding vigorously. Guess that explains why he brought so much stuff with him. Leaving it back home could have chanced getting the rest of his items stolen.

Bunny sighed, "Listen, mate. It's terrible that ya got yer stuff stolen, but…ya see…"

He looked around at the other Guardians for help. North unfolded his tattooed arms from his chest and took over. "We are Guardians of _Childhood. _Not Guardians of lost things. Perhaps you should build nest in higher tree or keep important rocks locked away."

"I-it wasn't a _rock!" _Aanka shouted, finally dropping all his items as he threw his wings up in anger. "It was a small, stone obelisk! It was put under my protection by Ganesha, himself! H-haven't you been listening?"

"Not really." Jack mumbled under his breath, chin dropping back onto his palm, feeling like the bird's speech was starting over.

"My tree was completely trashed! The obelisk was ripped from my hands by those brutish golems! And you're just going to sit there and-"

"I'm sorry, did you say golems?" Tooth asked, bringing herself back into the conversation.

"Y-yes! Massive stone golems, w-with eyes like fire, demolished my Home Tree and took of with a very sacred obelisk!"

Tooth seemed to pity the small creature as he wrung his wings together in a nervous fashion. "Oh, what would Ganesha say?"

"Who is the Ganesha anyway?" Jack asked still feeling out of the loop.

Aanka turned his gaze to the youngest Guardian as if just noticing he was there. His already massive yellow eyes grew to unimaginable sizes in disbelief.

"W-who is Ganesha? WHO IS GANESHA! He is the-…Well he was the-…You see-"

Bunny rolled his eyes with a groan and re-pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on from how long this was taking.

"Ganesha," Tooth interrupted before someone lost a wing, "Is the spirit of Knowledge-"

"_WAS_ the Spirit of Knowledge" Aanka pointed out.

"What do ya mean, _was_?"

Aanka's shoulders dropped and he cast his eyes to the floor. "I haven't seen Ganesha in a while, almost two centuries ago. In fact, the last time I saw him was when he passed the stone Obelisk on to me. That's why this is so important. OH! Perhaps the two are related! Why else would the Great Ganesha hand off such a sacred relic then disappear? This is why I came to you! You must do something about it!"

Jack, knowing he wasn't getting out of there anytime soon, stretched out his legs and crossed his arms. "Ok, let me see if I have this straight. Some guy gives you a special stone and then drops off the face of the Earth." He stops looking to Aanka who nods at his correct assumptions. "Then 200 years later, rock creatures-"

"_Golems!"_

"Right. _Golems _show up and steal it? What's so special about this stone anyway?"

Aanka opened his beak to answer the question, then stopped.

"I-I am not sure."

Bunny drops his head to the table. This whole meeting is starting to look like a big waste of time.

"B-but it must be of some great importance! Why else would Ganesha give it to me only to have it stolen later by a group of monsters! I shall consult my books and get back to you promptly!"

"Oi! Wait!"

The small bird jumped into the air and took off with out a glance back.

"Great. Now the bloody pidgeon'll be wanting another talk! You can count me out, North!"

The mentioned man was quiet during Bunny's yell. He had a hand in his beard and seemed to be lost in thought.

"North?" Tooth asked. "What's wrong? Is it something Aanka said?"

"Something is very wrong. I am not sure about stone Aanka is missing…"

"But?" Jack pushed, finally feeling something interesting coming from the meeting.

North pushed away from the table and stood with his back to the group. His eyes caught the massive globe in the center of the room. The lights shined bright as the globe continued its automatic turning. He quickly turned back to the table startling the others with his fast movement.

"Sandy! SANDY WAKE UP!"

The golden spirit jumped awake in his chair and stared around in confusion. As North stepped up to the small Guardian, Sandy stretched his arms and opened his mouth in a silent yawn.

"When is last time you saw friend Patty?"

Sandy tilted his head, a little concerned by the direction of the conversation. A golden four-leaf clover, made of dreamsand, appeared above his head along side a question mark.

"Yes! That Patty!"

Sandy put his finger to his chin and considered the last time he spoke to the Irish spirit. He shrugged after a minute, the question mark reappearing above his head.

"Very long time, yes?"

Sandy quickly nodded back.

"Patty?" Tooth asked, flying up from her seat at the table. "As in St. Patrick? The Leprechaun?

"North, what's this about?"

The remaining Guardians had risen from the table, sensing something was up. North turned his back to the Guardians once again, looking over the globe. Not a light flickered or diminished.

"I am not sure. Children are fine and Manny has been quiet for a while. But something is wrong. I can feel it, in my-"

"Let me guess, in yer belly?" Bunny snarked, gesturing to his furry stomach.

"Yes! You feel it to?"

"No, but ya always say that. Might wanna get that checked out, mate."

Tooth giggled behind her hand and Sandy made a similar motion. Jack smiled at the pair. He stepped up closer to the group when something caught the corner of his eye. Moonlight, too bright to be a natural occurrence, shined in from an opening in the roof of North's home. Elves and yetis jumped out of the way as the beam seemed to move on its own, drifting from behind the Guardians to the silver Guardian floor mural the others had used for Sandy's memorial 4 years previous. The others caught is his gaze as he shifted away from the beam's path. North looked over to Bunny and patted his stomach.

"See what I mean. Belly, never wrong."

"Uh, guys. You know what this means, right?" Tooth questioned, nervously flitting around the beam and its final destination.

"Not at all."

"It is strange. Manny is picking a new Guardian so soon? For this?"

"Whoa, what?" Jack straightened at the new information. "This is how he picks a Guardian?"

"Nah, mate. This is." Bunny said, pointing towards the ground.

A silver, diamond shaped tile, surrounded by the four original Guardians silouettes, sunk into the floor and began to slide open from its center. A crystal, taller than Jack himself, rose from underneath the floor and reflected the bright moonlight.

"I was under the impression this kind of thing didn't happen that often." Jack said twirling his staff to rest on his shoulder.

"It doesn't. Man in Moon must believe we need help." North explained, watching the giant crystal light up.

"Yeah, but for what?"

The light from the crystal lit up the area, washing the walls and floors in a wave of white light. Jack's eyes widened as a mist rose up from the crystal and began to take shape. Had this happened when he was chosen as a Guardian? From his left, he could hear a small whispering of, " Please not the groundhog, please not the groundhog." The mist finally coalesced forming the full figure of a woman…or maybe it was a girl. Jack couldn't really tell as the giant, transparent hood covered most of her transparent face.

"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me!" Bunny cried to the Moon.

"What? Who is it?" Jack asked, looking around at the others.

Tooth smiled and jumped for joy at the thought of another girl being on the team. Sandy was currently mock laughing at Bunnymund, who was throwing a fit.

"First the snowcone and now her!? How is that fair?"

"Whoa, hey. I'm right here! Who is she anyway?"

Bunny crossed his arms in agitation and glared at the crystal form. The girl, Jack decided, was no taller than he was and had a thick, long braid hanging out from underneath the hood. Her arms, crossed over her hoodie-covered chest, were wrapped tight in the same linen that wrapped her legs from thigh to foot. A huge sash and pouched belt tied around her middle and a bow on her back completed the look.

"I'll tell ya who she is. Nothing but a wild child! Always sneaking into my Warren when I'm away. I don't know how she does it! And I'll bet my tail she's taken a few of my eggs!"

Tooth flew over between the fuming Bunny and smiling Jack.

"Oh, I bet she's not that bad."

"No, Alexandra is very nice girl! A little curious, but full of adventure! Though I am not sure what she has to do with children." North told the others.

"Yeah, _nice._ The little larrikin can keep her adventure to herself. I don't need my eggs disappearing cause the sheila's a bit curious."

"Alright, so…Alexandra," Jack said aloud. "How do we find her?"

"Oh, don't worry. I have perfect plan." North smiled.

* * *

On the northern coast of the Hawaiian island of Kaua'I, Alex was screaming her lungs out. Though, from the smile on her face, it was probably a scream of pure exhilaration. The half sunken cave she was currently flying through belonged to the monstrous Mo'o. The dark, wingless dragon, with eyes as black as night, hissed and screeched at the adventurous spirit when she had first flown through its domain in search of a specific treasure. Now it swam through the water, not unlike a speedboat, as she streamed through the air just ahead of its snapping jaw. The distance between the water level and the roof of the cave was only a few feet, and the danger of getting bit only fueled Alex's laughter on. As the two neared a large opening, sunlight ripped through the cave reflecting off the bright blue of the ocean. Where Alex had only squinted and continued her flight, the Mo'o screeched in pain and dove back under water. Alex soared through the air, high above the hidden cave and over the island itself. From one of the four, small pouches strapped to her relatively new leather belt (gift from a friend), she pulled out an impossibly large and old map of the Kaua'I Island. Various black 'X's covered the coast of the map island, and now she was adding another.

"Another one down, several more to go."

She folded up the map and placed it back into her pouch. She adjusted the wooden bow on her back (another gift from a friend) and looked down. Her bare, dark feet seemed to dangle in the air. The warm, salty air circled around her, pulling on her clothes and long braid. The giant palm trees seemed to dance in rhythm with the breeze and the pull of the ocean waves. Alex took in a lungful of air and cast her gaze around the island.

"Legendary Lightening blade of Hi'iaka. You're out there somewhere."

Just like that, the tingling was back. It felt like an itch, at the base of her skull. She twisted her head north…no east. Northeast! Alex sighed and rubbed the back of her head, as if trying to relieve the sensation there.

"But unfortunately, you'll have to wait. I've got a job to do."

She let the wind pick her up farther into the air and over the Pacific Ocean, headed towards America.

* * *

85 years after she first awoke deep in the heart of the Brazilian jungle, Alex had noticed a few things. First, she could fly. She didn't discover this until after she had walked, completely lost in the jungle, for 3 days. She probably would have continued to walk if it wasn't for a massive whole in the ground that she almost fell in.

Second, she had the ability to do certain things the other inhabitants of Earth could only dream of. Gold energy, like dust, would seep out of her skin whenever she was in a bind. She could collect to her hands as a light source or shape it in to any weapon she desired. Alex was more partial to forming golden arrows, firing them with the plain, wooden bow she had on her back. As human technology advanced, Alex learned that her gold dust could also be used to power other devices and machines. An effect she unfortunately discovered when she got curious about videogames in an arcade shop. Suffice to say, the shop had been out of business for a while when all of its machines seemed to explode spontaneously.

Third, she discovered as she began traveling the globe, was that she had a job to take care of. The tingling she felt in the back of her skull would direct her to a child who needed her help, no matter what country or language. The children, ranging from very young to mid teens, were not necessarily in danger (excluding one kid who got stuck in a collapsed tree house) but would always need her help in some form. Jobs included building up a child's self esteem to ask a crush out to helping a child get back to sleep after a week of terrible nightmares. Alex would like to say that this was the best part of being whatever she was. Helping out children, talking to children, having someone see her, but it was really the worst. She would travel halfway across the world to help a child, no matter how trivial their problem may be. She could comfort the child and talk with them. She could make them laugh and smile. But as soon as the child's problem was solved, they forgot all about their buddy, Alex. She still remembered the first time it had happened.

Alex, who was super excited that someone could finally see her, had quickly helped the young girl overcome her fear of clowns in order to find her family. The girl had gotten lost at the circus and hid in a nearby tent, to scared to look around when she saw multiple clowns hanging just outside her hiding space. When Alex had finally coaxed the girl out of the tent and into her parents' arms, she had expected the child to at least thank her. Unfortunately, when the girl turned around, hand in hand with her father, she walked right through Alex and never looked back. The same experience continued to happen every time she was called to help a child. The problem would be solved and Alex was pushed back to the side. It wasn't a nice feeling, but she assumed it was nothing that could be helped. After all, immortality had to come with some price right?

* * *

Alex spun through the air, the cold night wind whipping around her. Light snow fell from the dark skies as she made her way over the Pennsylvania state lines. The tingly feeling in her head began to die down as she got steadily closer to her next mission. She hummed an old melody as she drifted on her back, arms folded behind her head. For knowing what heartbreak that laid ahead, she was feeling surprisingly peaceful.

A town, just up ahead, stood out against the snow as it was lit up like a Christmas tree. She twisted onto her stomach and looked over the town. There were a few people still walking around on the sidewalks and a couple cars roamed the streets. A large truck, she noticed, salted the roads in preparation of tomorrow's traffic. She chuckled at the cautious town's actions. It was just a little snow. There was no way it would be enough to completely cover the streets that quickly. Burgess, the town was called, was quiet this time of night as many of its inhabitants were just going to bed. Alex dropped down closer to the streets, flying just over the rooftops. She landed on the first red-shingled house before leaping from roof to roof.

Nope.

Nuh-uh.

Not this one.

Almost.

There!

Alex came to rest on a green-shingled house in the middle of a street. The house had two levels and a chimney just at the left end. She slid down the slopped roof and perched herself right at the edge. Just below her gripping hands on the ledge, Alex noticed a window, open at her convenience. She dropped down on the windowsill, cat like, before peering into the room. A boy, no older than 10, sat on a twin bed decorated with a stars and planet themed comforter and pillows. The boy had dark brown hair that fell around his face in a ruffled manner. He sat at the edge of his bed holding a thick, closed book entitled _The_ _Adventures of Captain Courageous._ The boy huffed before pulling himself completely under the covers, seemingly getting ready to sleep.

"I hate this place." The boy whispered, his voice held a hard, foreign accent.

Alex titled her head to hear his words clearer. Invisible to the boy and anyone who might be looking, she slowly crawled inside. The boy ran a hand over the cover of the book before sighing.

"Why couldn't we just stay home?"

Alex moved her eyes from the boy to his room, looking for a clue to the boy's personality. The space theme continued from the boy's bed to his walls and shelves. Glow in the dark stars and moon littered the ceiling while model rockets hung down on thin strings. His shelves were filled, from bottom to top, with books of various sizes and colors all titled with variations of the words _Travels, Guides, Adventures, _and _Magical._ Alex smiled, the kid was curious about he world around him. In the corner, a looming shadow caught her eye. As she stepped closer, hands held behind her back, she noticed that they were empty boxes stacked together; all labeled with the words Watts Family.

_Moving boxes._ She realized.

"So," Alex said to no one. They boy couldn't hear her yet. "Let me guess. Family moved from another country? England probably."

She cast her gaze from the cream colored wall with the name _Benjamin_ spelled out in stardust stickers. She shortened his name to Ben in her mind. No kid liked to be called by his full name.

"That makes you the new kid, right? I'm guessing you don't have many friends, or any friends for that matter. Is that what you want? To make friends?"

The boy, Benjamin, stayed silent as he could still not here her.

"Well kid, I've got bad news for you. I'm not the best at making friends."

"I don't want _friends_."

Alex jumped. Could the boy see her already?

Benjamin's eyes remained glued to the closed cover of the book he was still holding.

"I don't need a bunch. I just want one."

"Ah, kid." Alex said sympathetically, stepping closer to the foot of the bed.

Benjamin opened the book and flipped through a couple pages. He landed on the picture of a cartoon. A colorful drawing of a man, most likely a superhero based on his outfit and red cape, took up the entire length of the page. Captain Courageous struck a heroic pose and held a globe in his hand. He had a huge smile, slicked back hair, and a chin that was too large to be possible.

"Someone like Captain Courageous! He'd be tall and smart…and a world traveler! He'd tell me stories of all his adventures and take me far away from this stupid town!"

Benjamin had a wide smile as he looked over the picture. Slowly, but surely, the smile faded as he closed the book. Alex could feel the tingling completely disappear, knowing it was time to get started.

"But those people only exist in fairy tales."

"I take offence to that!"

Benjamin jumped and dropped his book. He slid all the way back to his headboard before squinting ahead. Alex smiled and waved, but the boy didn't seem to pick up on the movement. Benjamin reached to his bedside table and pulled out a pair of thick, yellow eyeglasses. He rammed them onto his face before blinking up at Alex.

"Who are you!? How did you get in my room!?"

"Whoa, Ben. Calm down." She said raising her hands in surrender.

"How did you know my name!?"

Alex pointed her thumb to the wall behind her. Benjamin's name was clearly visible over her shoulders.

"Oh, but how did you get in here? Are you a burglar?"

Alex rolled her eyes and dropped her hands to her waist, putting on a proud smile.

"Technically, you brought me here."

"I did?"

"Yep! All that wishing must have done you some good!"

Alex jumped into the air to land on the foot of Ben's bed, legs folded perfectly beneath her.

"My name is Alex, and I'm your imaginary friend!"

* * *

**A/N**

**So, just for reference...it's been 85 years since the first chapter but only 4 years since the events of the movie. Please leave a review! I would love feedback or just your feelings on this story!**


	3. Wise Blood

**A/N at the end**

**Wise Blood**

She sat staring with her eyes shut, into his eyes, and felt as if she had finally got to the beginning of something she couldn't begin, and she saw him moving farther and farther away, farther and farther into the darkness until he was the pin point of light. –Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood

* * *

"Imaginary friend?"

"Totally."

Ben looked up at Alex from underneath his yellow glasses in disbelief.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Hey! It's the truth!"

The boy folded his arms, no longer afraid of the strange girl that magically appeared in his new bedroom.

"I think I'm a little too old for an imaginary friend."

"Nah," Alex started, stretching out her limbs. "You're never to old for a friend that's perfect for you."

"Perfect for me?"

Alex quickly nodded before scooping up the book that had been thrown earlier. She opened it up and quickly flipped through it, pretending to read.

"Let's see. Tall? Definitely taller than you short stuff-"

"Hey!"

"Smart? I'm a genius in my own right-"

"Sure."

"-And I'm totally a world traveler!"

Ben paused in his interruptions.

"Really?"

"Yep! I just hoofed it over from Hawaii in order to get here before your bedtime! And don't even get me started on my adventures! I've got so many stories, if you tried to write them down, they wouldn't even fit in my pouches!"

Ben glanced from Alex's face to the brown, leather belt that wrapped over her red sash. Those pouches were really small; they couldn't be bigger than her closed fists.

"Must be some pretty lame adventures."

Alex caught his glance and looked down to her small pouches. She stood on his bed and began to pull random objects from all for pouches. Maps of various countries, glowing rocks, a compass, a silver pocket watch, 4 different flavors of bubblegum, 2 colorful eggs, a small knife wrapped in the same linen as the ones on her legs and arms, a green coin, a long rusty key, and a thick book labeled _Space travel and You_. Benjamin looked at the objects in wonder then to her pouches before glancing back at her face.

"Where did you get that belt?" He asked.

"Gift from a friend…they're bigger on the inside."

Ben picked through the big pile of stuff on his bed and pulled out a colorful oval object.

"Is this an egg?"

Alex quickly picked up the egg, covered in pastels and glittery paint, and held it right side up. Two small legs popped out from its bottom and began moving as if it were trying to run away.

"Easter eggs! I knicked 'em from the Easter bunny."

"The Easter bunny? You stole eggs…from the Easter bunny?" Ben asked sarcastically, which was only exaggerated by his English accent.

"Absolutely! Had to sneak into his Warren and past these giant egg statues to get them. You wouldn't believe how long that took."

"Benny?"

The door to Ben's bedroom opened. A woman, in her early 30's, poked her head into the room and cast her glance at the young boy. This was definitely the kid's mom. They had the same light hair color and dark green eyes. She even had a pair of glasses perched on her nose as well.

"Who are you talking to?"

Ben looked from his mother to Alex, then back again. Alex gave him a look that said '_Told you so'._

"What is this mess?" She said, motioning to his bed and the pile of Alex's objects. "Ben, you have your first day of school tomorrow! You need your sleep."

"Sorry, mum. I'll clean it up."

Satisfied, Ben's mom retracted her head from the door and lightly closed it behind her. Alex smiled and began recollecting her things. Ben looked up from the various objects to inspect Alex herself. He lifted his hand to poke Alex's bare foot. It was solid and twitched at his touch.

"Are you real?"

"Course I am? You see me don't you?"

"My mum couldn't see you."

"Told you...imaginary."

Ben didn't seem to buy that.

"That doesn't make any sense."

Alex sighed and looked back up at the boy.

"Well I'm not her imaginary friend am I?"

As she finished putting her things away, she looked back at the small boy. He sat, unblinking, at the head of his bed in his light blue pajamas. He tilted his head in confusion, still trying to figure her out. Feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze, she tried to pull his attention away from herself.

"So, you just moved here right? From…the U.K.?"

The boy just nodded, not removing his stare. Alex rubbed the back of her neck. This was a bit difficult. Usually, the kids that needed help only needed a little push to get past something. Normally it was just their own fears. How was she supposed to deal with a kid who needed a friend? She didn't talk to the other spirits that much and kids don't really see her long enough to become her friends.

"So…"

"You said you had stories, right? Lots of stories?"

Alex blinked in surprise at Ben's question.

"Yeah, like 80 years worth."

"80?"

"Mhm."

"How are you 80? My mum looks older than you."

Alex huffed and rolled her eyes. This kid was too detail oriented.

"I'm 85, technically; what part of imaginary friend do you not understand? Now do you want a story or not?"

Ben slid down in his covers, eager for a good bedtime story. Alex smiled at the move and thought for a second. What would be a good first story?

"How do you feel about giant spiders?"

* * *

The sun had fully risen, and Burgess was completely covered in a white blanket of snow. Children all across town were just getting up to greet the morning. Luckily for them, the snow had cancelled school, leaving a whole day just for them. Alex chuckled in disbelief at the sight. Apparently, their cautious actions last night, of salting roads, proved to be useful. This must be a common occurrence around here.

Alex swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the edge of the closed windowsill. The room she was currently resting in was warm and cozy. Light snores echoed through the small area, breaking up the sound of the wind beating against the glass panes. Alex turned her head to the small twin bed just across the room. Benjamin was snuggled under his heavy blankets, still sound asleep. What a great first day of school. His mother had been up for awhile, making a commotion downstairs as she continued to unpack the rest of the kitchen supplies from the many moving boxes that were littered all over the house. Alex returned her eyes to the window. Many children were exiting their homes to play in a nearby park. The snow made the landscape perfect for sledding and snowball fights. She looked down the window to the outside sill. She smirked as an idea formed in her idea. So Benny needed to make friends, huh?

She unlocked the boy's window and slowly slid it open. Her fingers scooped up a nice, big handful of snow and packed it tightly into a ball. On silent feet, she slunk off her seat and across the room. Her unsuspecting victim snored on. Just at the edge of his bed, she spun the frozen ball in her palm.

"Wakey, wakey, Benjamin!"

_SPLAT!_

* * *

"How is snow supposed to help me?"

Benjamin, now dressed in a black bubble coat and red mittens, sat huddled on a park bench down the street from his house. Alex floated next to him, her gaze on the group of kids playing in the snow down the hill.

"Don't worry_._ It'll totally get you some friends."

Ben looked down to his feet.

"Why do I need friends? I've got you now, right?"

Alex didn't look at the kid. She didn't answer his question either. Ben huffed before looking out across the white landscape.

"Why snow?"

"Because snow is _fun."_

The kids were starting up a snowball war just down the hill. This was going to be easier than she thought.

"And it's one of the only universally acceptable weapons kids can use."

"Universally acceptable weapons?"

Alex turned to look down at the boy on the bench. His knees where up to his chest, his arms just barely hooking around them. The thick bubble coat was causing the boy some movement problems.

"Yeah, you know, water guns, water balloons, feather pillows. Most kids are totally cool with getting hit by a snowball."

Ben began giggling behind his hand.

"What's so funny?"

"You said cool."

"So?"

"Kids are _cool_ with _snowballs_?"

Ben's laughter was high pitched and a little annoying, but man, was it contagious. Alex smiled at her unknown pun and looked back at the group of kids. Their snowball war had expanded and they were slowly making their way over to the pair.

"Ha-ha, very funny kid."

The closer the kids got, weaving in and out of the park's bare trees, the more a plan began to form in her mind. She scooped up a small bit of snow and shaped it into a snowball.

"Here," She said, handing it off to Ben. "You might want to stand up."

"Why?"

Alex didn't answer as she bent down to pick up more snow. Another snowball in hand, she began throwing it in the air, catching it in its descent. Ben got up off the bench, not liking the sly smile that slid across her face. Just as a brown haired boy came around the nearest tree, Alex pulled her arm back and pitched the snowball through the air.

Bullseye!

The mound of snow smacked against the side of the kids face, knocking him to the ground. The boy, wiping snow from his neck, couldn't be more than a year older Benjamin. He wore a green wool hat, with its earflaps buttoned up to its top. The kid turned his head to find the source of the sudden attack. His eyes looked through Alex and landed on the snowball in Ben's hand.

"By the way," She said, rising in the air. "You should totally run."

The rest of the group were just coming around the trees as the kid, Jamie, the others were calling him, got up and made a fresh snowball. Ben dropped his ammo and took of across the park, Alex's laughter following behind him.

* * *

When Jack finally made his way into Burgess, it was already mid afternoon. Luckily, he had the great foresight to send a cold front towards the town, just before the long business meeting yesterday. North had wanted to bring out the Christmas sack again to collect their new Guardian. It was pretty much a unanimous decision to _NOT_ do that. After intervening a snowball war in the local park, and giving one side a completely unfair advantage, the group of kids had slowly dwindled down until only three had remained. Jamie Bennett, his first believer, would have waited all day to see Jack if he had to. Sophie Bennett, his younger sister, would wait just as eagerly. Benjamin Watts, however, was a different story. Ben was new to Burgess and, if Jack had to guess, new to America. The English kid was quick to believe in winter spirit, but still seemed to believe he wasn't real.

"What did you say?"

"Imaginary. You're imaginary right? Like an imaginary friend?"

"Kid," Jack said forming a snowball in his right hand, "Can an _imaginary friend_ do this?"

With a puff of icy breath, a snowball, slightly bluer than the snow around them, formed in the Jack's hand. He tossed it in the air once, before plopping it down on Ben's open palm. It was definitely real.

"I guess not…but those kids' parents…they couldn't see you."

Jack huffed and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, that happens."

"My mum couldn't see Alex either. So I just thought-"

"Wait, Alex?"

Ben looked up from the magic snowball to the white haired spirit before him.

"My imaginary friend! She's the one who wanted me to play outside today," He looked to Jaime, handing him the snowball. "She's the one who threw the snowball at you earlier, not me."

"I didn't see anyone but you." Jaime said, accepting the icy weapon.

"Well, yeah. That's because she's my _imaginary_ friend. But, everyone before could see Jack. So, maybe you're not the same."

"Where is this friend?" Jack asked crouching down to the boys' heights.

Ben turned and pointed behind him.

"She right over-"

The bench, where Alex and Ben had been sitting earlier, was as empty as the rest of the park.

"Well, she was there."

Jack hummed and looked lost in thought. It couldn't be that easy…could it?

"Alex, short for Alexandra, right?"

"I guess."

"Do you remember what she looked like?"

"Yeah! She has a white hoodie, kinda like yours. She has a long braid, and a bow, and these red things on her arms and legs. Oh! And she has this really cool belt! It's like magic on the inside! It can hold a whole bunch of stuff, but the pockets are really small."

It could be that easy, apparently.

"Ben, do you know where she went? Or when she'll be back?"

Ben looked up in confusion.

"I'm not sure. She told me she's a world traveler. She could be anywhere, but…she might come back tonight. She promised to tell me more about her adventures."

Very easy. All he had to do was wait till she came back. He knew from experience that spirits with believers didn't take off for too long.

"Is she in trouble?" Ben asked.

"No. We just need her help."

* * *

Night descended on Burgess rather quickly. Alex, with her hood pulled over her hair, sat on a tree branch outside Ben's home watching the sky as tendrils of gold dreamsand drifted into the many houses of the neighborhood. Alex touched the tendril drifting into Ben's room. A rocket ship burst into existence and flew around her fingers. The spirit chuckled before removing her fingers and putting her hands back in her lap. What was it with this kid and space?

The air around her seemed to chill.

Why was she still here? She knew she finished her job. Ben had a few friends now and wouldn't need her anymore. The way he was laughing earlier with the other kids, she doubted he could even see her anymore. Besides, she still has a lightening blade to find. Alex pulled out one of the old maps. She unfolded it several times, revealing Kaua'I Island. Although several X's covered the coast of the ink island, she still had a few more caves to search through.

"Looking for something?"

Alex jumped in surprise but caught herself before she fell out of the tree. What the hell? She folded up her map and stuck it in her pouch before glancing back. A boy, no older than her, laid the tree branches behind her with his hands behind his head. How did she not see him? The shepherd's staff in his hand could be used as a weapon, but he didn't seem to be aggressive. Although, he had to have been looking for her for a while. Even if she was visible, Alex's body was well hidden in the tree.

"You know, it's kinda rude to look over someone shoulder. Especially when they don't know you." She said pulling her bow into her lap. There wasn't anything wrong with being cautious.

"Says the girl leering outside a kid's window." The boy scoffed.

"I'm not leering!" She twisted around to fully face him. "Who are you anyway?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but she jumped into the air before he could answer.

"Wait, wait! Let me guess! I'm pretty good at guessing."

She floated around him, giving her a 360 view.

"Frost covered hoodie, snow colored hair, pale skin like a creepy vampire-"

"Hey!"

"-And completely content with the cold weather around you. I'm gonna say your not a summer spirit."

"Wow," he said with sarcasm so heavy you could feel it. "You are great at guessing."

"Jack Frost," She said, replacing her bow to her back again. A guardian definitely wasn't going to start a fight for no reason. "Can I help you?"

Jack leapt from the tree branch. The wind caught the spirit and dropped on the Watts' roof, just above Ben's window.

"That depends. You're Alexandra, right?"

Maybe she should have kept her bow out.

"People don't really know my name, unless they're looking for me. So, what do you want?"

"Well, it's not really about me. The Guardians want you."

Alex stiffened. What did they want? It's not like she did anything recently! Unless the giant rabbit held long grudges. Seriously, she should just keep her hands to herself. Taking souvenirs has brought her nothing but trouble.

"Okay, listen. It's no big deal."

"Actually it kind of is."

"No, seriously. I didn't think it would matter that much. But if the rabbit gets butt hurt over two eggs then fine, he can have them back."

She began digging through her pouches for the two colorful egglets.

"What? Wait, what are you talking about?" Jack asked.

She froze.

"What are _you _talking about?"

"The Guardians are calling a meeting and the Moon thinks we need you. I just happened to find you first, so I'm here to take you to the North Pole."

"Oh."

Alex pulled her hands out of the pouches and put them behind her back. She was doing a terrible job at looking innocent.

"Did you really steal Easter eggs?"

"Ok, technically. It wasn't Easter. So they were just regular walking, multicolored eggs."

"Right." Jack laughed.

The wind picked up and he jumped into the air.

"Are you coming or what?"

Alex jumped into the air after him. After all, adventure is adventure. This would be a great story to tell Ben. She paused and looked back into the window. The young boy was still sound asleep, dreamsand rockets and stars circling his head. Though she knew her time with him was done, she wondered if he would still remember her in the morning. She floated away from the window and shot after the winter spirit.

"Hey, you're not gonna tell the rabbit what I said, right?"

* * *

**Ok, so first off:**

**Thank you to ViviBright16 who was my first reviewer! This is like a milestone or something, right?**

**Second:**

**The powers seen in the first chapter, and Alex's powers are basically pure energy. They don't really look or work like Dreamsand. They're more like bright colored smoke. For reference, you can look at the Doctor's regeneration energy. (Doctor Who for those of you who don't know) Google image search it and all will become clear.**

**Review for me sweethearts. It's what I look forward to the most!**


	4. The Year of Magical Thinking

**The Year of Magical Thinking**

Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. –Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking

* * *

Snow covered mountains disappeared and were replaced by icy waters of the artic ocean below. The sun cast a range of pink and orange hues across the darkening sky. It seemed to be in a state of rising or setting, and it did nothing to warm the air. Harsh winds pushed them along towards their northern destination. Alex, who couldn't stop smiling at the amount of snow and ice, had never been farther north than Greenland. The farthest north she had ever traveled was to Appat Island, no more than a large abandoned ice burg, looking for adventure. She recalled reading about Nanuk, the Great Polar Bear, and went out searching for the legend. Unfortunately, her search ended pretty quickly as a snowstorm knocked her out of the sky. She never did go back to see if the mystical Polar Bear actually existed.

"So, Alexandra…You don't talk a lot do you?"

Alex was brought back to the current adventure.

Right, the North Pole.

She honestly expected there to be more…land. Half frozen seas stretched out as far as her eyes could see. Was the North Pole just a small island in the middle of the Artic Ocean?

"It's Alex, actually, and I'm… just thinking."

"Bout what?"

Alex looked to the boy flying ahead of her. He wasn't looking back now, but she couldn't help but feel that he had probably been watching her.

"I'm trying to figure out if you're leading me to a fight or something."

She was only half joking, but what little tension she held slowly disappeared at Jack's chuckle. It wasn't a condescending or mysterious sound. It was light and made her smile. Just a bit.

"Now why would you think that?" He asked, keeping his eyes to the horizon ahead of them.

"Not many people have wanted to meet with me," She admitted. "Actually, no one has."

The truth was, anytime she had ever met someone, it was always with an ill will. Usually it was some spirit who got miffed at her for snooping around close to their home. Technically, there hasn't been anyone who traveled across the globe in search of her. She really wanted to know why they needed her.

"I know the feeling." He said.

Alex barely caught it over the sound of the wind rushing past her face.

"I'm just…curious as to what I did.

"So am I."

Alex looked at the boy in confusion. He didn't know?

"So you're a Guardian right? You must know what's happening."

Jack flipped on his back, still flying forward, to look back at her. His arms crossed behind his head, holding his staff. He would have looked completely relaxed if it weren't for his feet kicking in the air to keep his balance.

"Not really. I'm just a clueless as you."

She couldn't really believe that. Who would reach out to her and bring her half way across the world for no reason?

"Clueless, huh?"

"Well, something's happening," He said with a far away look. "But I don't know what. I'm hoping we find out soon enough."

"I don't know... If the moon wants me to help you guys, it must be something serious, right? Well, maybe not. If something really bad goes down, he'd pick someone more qualified. Like, a super spirit or something."

"A …super spirit?"

" You know what I mean. Someone a lot stronger with amazing powers or abilities."

Jack hummed in consideration.

"The moon knows what he's doing. If he picked you, it was for a reason."

"And you know this from personal experience?" She joked.

He didn't answer, but his silence held and air of confidence. Despite the distressing topic of the conversion, Jack still held on to the small smile that had graced his lips from the moment he met her. Alex wondered if he was this happy all the time.

"You smile a lot, you know that right?"

He chuckled again before flipping back around. Mountains were rising up in the distance.

"There's a lot to smile about."

The white stretch of land expanded with every passing second. Alex could feel excitement beginning to claw its way through her veins. She was about to see the North Pole!

"I take back what I said earlier. You definitely like to talk." He smiled.

"Nah, I only talk when there is someone worth talking to."

* * *

The mountains, standing tall and rising into the clouds, split into many curving canyons, the bottom hidden by clouds of ice and fog. Structures, built right onto the sides of the many cliff faces, became more noticeable as the pair flew in closer. Bridges and towers connected several dome-topped buildings, with warm lights shining from all windows. The main building, Alex guessed by its size and central position, blended in almost perfectly with the snowy mountain around it. The closer they got, the more Alex could see large, burly creatures, covered head to toe in fur, manning the watch towers and moving back and forth across bridges. This was way cool.

Jack led her past the towers, saluting a few of the creatures, and onto one of the many open balconies on the main building. Alex landed on the dark wood floor and looked back out across the landscape.

"Wow."

"Wait till you see the inside." Jack said as he walked over to the massive doorway.

He pulled open the twin doors and waved her inside.

"I should warn you. Watch your feet and face. The elves tend to be everywhere."

Alex quickly followed him into the warm room, closing the doors behind her.

"Those furry things weren't the elves…right?"

"The yetis? No, the elves are a lot more troublesome."

Alex turned from the doors and took in the sight before her.

"Oh, wow."

"Told you."

The room, which was more like a small cove, opened into the main area of the building. It was huge, yet every amount of space seemed to have its own purpose. The yetis, many with fur pulled back into ponytails or mustaches, moved back and forth, all with some task that demanded full attention and speed. Many sat at wooden tables and were painting or creating toys based on ice sculptures placed nearby. Others carried tools and boxes from place to place while some seemed to be testing the toys themselves. Planes, of many colors and shapes, flew through the air and across the many levels of the workshop.

The elves, she assumed, were incredibly small creatures dressed in outfits made from what looked like green and red christmas hats. The bells on the tops of their hats jingled as they ran under tables and boxes, messing with anything they could get their tiny hands on.

She followed Jack, dodging the yetis and elves left and right, only to stop as they got near the center of the area. It was an empty space, save for the very center, where a spiraling staircase ran up and down, with cranes hanging over every level. There were way more floors than she had thought there would be, based on her first look from the outside, and just the sheer size of it all amazed her. Why hadn't she been here before?

The organized chaos of the workshop seemed to ignore the two as they made their way to a set of massive doors, opening into an even more massive room. She could hear voices drifting out the closer they got.

"-does this even have to do with children? So a few spirits are goin' quiet, so what? We don't even know if this is a big deal!"

"Of course it is big deal! They have gone more than quiet, they are missing!"

A jingle was heard, different from the elves' hats. More like the sound of bells.

"Sandy's right. We don't actually know they went missing. Some spirits like to lay low. Doesn't mean anything suspicious is goin' on."

The two entered the room in the middle of a, rather serious, conversation. A group of four very different characters stood around a fireplace, evenly taking sides on a topic Alex figured had something to do with her.

"Jack!"

A woman, covered head to toe in colorful feathers, flew across the room to greet the pair. Her face and hands were the only places with skin, and her head feathers grouped together to look liked some form of headdress. Her wings, which almost beat to fast to see, were insect like, despite her obvious bird form.

"Oh!" She looked at Alex with some recognition. "Is this her?"

The woman flew around Alex, getting a full view of her.

"Yeah, this is Alex! Alex, meet the Guardians."

* * *

It was weird, being around this many people at once. Sure, Alex had walked through overcrowded cities and heard the roar of populations talking simultaneously, but not once in her life had all eyes been on her.

"Welcome, Alexandra! We have waited long time for you to get here!" The large man, with tattoos on each arm, gestured to the other Guardians.

"North, it's only been two days."

"Would have been one hour if we went with my idea."

"Luckily we didn't," Jack mumbled to Alex. "It involved a sack."

Alex wasn't paying attention, however, as she realized she was actually meeting some of the biggest legends in all of Earth's history. She could feel the stupid grin stretching across her face, but she couldn't help it. The big five, here in one room! Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy, the hummingbird hybrid, was closely inspecting Alex as if to remember every detail. Sandman, the small, golden man, drank from a Christmas decorated glass next to the giant fireplace. E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny, glared at Alex from across the large room, his arms crossed in disapproval. Nicholas St North, Santa Claus, waved off Toothiana and pulled her away from her inspection of Alex's teeth.

She suddenly felt self-conscious, as she had never had this much attention put on her at once. She felt ridiculous, as if she had worn her underwear on the outside of her pants or as if her hair had decided to come alive and dance on top of her head. She crossed her arms across her chest, hoping the feeling would soon go away.

"So, Alexandra-"

"It's just Alex, actually."

North contemplated her for a moment before nodding.

"Well, _Just Alex,_ what do you know about missing spirits?"

"Oi! Not this again! North, there is nothin' bad happening! They aren't missin', mate! They're just layin' low!"

"Man in Moon says they are missing, then they are missing!"

"Manny didn' say anythin' about missin' spirits! He only started _talkin'_ after we learned about the stolen stone relics!"

"But doesn't that mean the two are connected?" Tooth joined in "After all, Aanka's relic was given to him by Ganesha!"

"Exactly! Man in Moon wants us to look for _missing_-" North enunciated, looking at Bunnymund. "-spirits. Thought I am not sure what missing spirits have to do with children."

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sandy, mate, help me out here."

The small golden man drifted up to the others heights, before joining in the argument by forming several golden images above his head. Alex began to grow confused. She turned her head to Jack, who watched the current argument with an exasperated look. Tooth put herself in the middle of the fight, gaining the men's attention.

"The fact remains that there are still people_ and_ relics missing." She turned away to look at Alex. "Would you happen to know anything about stone obelisks or giant stone...uh…what did Aanka call them?"

"Golems." Jack stated. "_Giant, stone golems, with eyes like fire!"_ He said in a high-pitched voice. Alex assumed he was imitating whoever Aanka was.

Alex shook her head and uncrossed her arms.

"I'm sorry. I am seriously confused."

"What's to be confused about? Giant statues are stealing rocks from missing spirits. You know anything about that?" Jack asked.

"No, I don't. Why would I? I didn't even know there were spirits missing. Shouldn't we, I don't know, warn others about this? They should know if they're in danger."

"_That_ is the thing, Just Alex!" North strode over to the girl. "Not all spirits are in danger. It is special group that is missing!"

"Ok, now I'm confused. A special group of spirits? Like...like us?" Jack asked, flipping his staff onto his shoulder.

"Like, yes. There are 11 spirits missing, all from same group! Aanka told us about Ganesha missing, which led me to ask about Leprechaun. I have looked into it. Someone or something is targeting Gods of Earth!"

* * *

"Gods of Earth are some of the first spirits ever created. They are like us except they watch over all humans. There are 12 spirits in all."

North had pulled out a very large, and very old, leather bound book. He flipped it open on the long table for the other five to see. An intricate ink drawing of Earth took up 2 full pages, the planet being split by the fold of the book. Twelve symbols evenly surrounded the Earth, six on each page. North pointed to the each symbol, calling by name, before moving to the next counter-clockwise. As his finger moved, words, in English thankfully, appeared next to each symbol.

Ganesha – Spirit of Knowledge

Pachamama – Spirit of Change

Yue-Lao – Spirit of Compassion

St. Patrick – Spirit of Fortune

Alice – Spirit of Curiosity

Hunahpu – Spirit of Camaraderie

Ma'at – Spirit of Virtue

Samuel – Spirit of Freedom

Terpsichore- Spirit of Creativity

Prometheus – Spirit of Perseverance

Mahrem – Spirit of Courage

Tsar Lunar – Spirit of Providence

"Am I readin' that right?" Bunnymund asked, moving to get a better view. "Tsar Lunar? Does that mean-"

"Yes. Man in Moon is last of twelve spirits"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Alex shouted, stepping back from the Guardians. "So the Man in the Moon tells you about a bunch of his friends missing and then decides he wants you guys to stop someone who can potentially… _take out the moon?!_"

"Yes! Is what I've been trying to say, but _someone-"_ North explained, pointing another glare at Bunnymund. "-would not let me finish."

"Ok, that's all well and good, but why am I here?"

Jack turned away from the table to look at her in confusion.

"Manny thinks we need your help-"

"Yeah, I get that! You've all been saying that. But why do you need _my_ help? Why is he so adamant about getting me to help you? This is a Guardian thing, right?"

The Guardians were silent as they stared at her.

"Right?" Alex urged.

"You did not tell her?" North asked Jack.

"Tell me what?"

"Well, I thought it be better if it was more of a group effort." He explained.

"If what was a group effort?"

"Well it's no wonder the poor girl is confused!" Tooth said, flying over to Alex

"Confused about what!?"

Tooth placed her hands on both of Alex's shoulders.

"This is a very big honor! I've never been so excited! We finally have another girl on the team!"

"Uh, what?"

"Manny chose you, Alex!"

"Chose me to do what? Just tell me!"

"He chose you, just like he chose all of us!" North shouted, closing the old, thick book on the table, a puff of dust flying out in all directions. "You are now Guardian!"

North threw his hands up as if he had just shouted '_Surprise!'_. The room was quiet and still as everyone waited for someone to say something.

"Well, it would have been better. Bigger! I wanted confetti and music! But, others say, is bad idea."

"For good reasons." Jack mumbled before walking over to Alex. "So, welcome to the-"

Alex burst into laughter before doubling over, holding her stomach. Her smile stretched across her face and she had tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, man. You got me! That was good!" Alex said, calming down. "I mean, that whole thing with '_The spirits are missing!'_ That was gold! You guys are great."

"Alex, we're being serious." Tooth said, a worried look crossing her features.

"Sure you are, but aren't you a little early? April Fools Day isn't for several months. Unless this is payback for me taking Bunny's eggs."

"You did what?!"

"But seriously guys, that was really elaborate! How long did that take to plan?"

"Tooth is right, Alex. Manny really did choose you." Jack explained. Sandy floated next to her, nodding his head in confirmation.

"What? No he didn't." She said seriously, her eyebrows pinching together.

"Yes, he-"

"No! He didn't!" Alex shouted pulling away from the other guardians. "He didn't pick me to be a Guardian because I can't be a Guardian! All I can do is shoot a few energy arrows from my bow and light up a dark room! I'm not Guardian material."

"Man in Moon is never wrong. He chooses us because he sees something in us we cannot. It's our centers! They help us protect all the children of the globe!" North explained, motioning to the revolving Globe in the room, covered in lights.

"Not me. I don't have a-a... center thing like you guys. Kids don't even see me…"

"Well, it takes a while for children to believe-"

"No! It doesn't matter if they believe! It doesn't matter if they can see me for once! I can't be a Guardian because I'm not like you!" She shouted, gesturing to the others.

"It doesn't matter if they can see me, or call my name…because after they get what they need from me…they forget."

Alex backed up a few steps and turned her gaze to the wooden floor.

"I can help a child if they need it. I can tell them stories to help them sleep, or hold their hands in a crowded mall. But once they're satisfied, once they don't need me anymore,…they forget me. They can walk right through me not a few seconds after we were just talking! That's why the Man in the Moon is wrong. I'm not like you guys…It's not fair."

She raised her head to look at Jack.

"I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Alex, wait-"

Alex jumped into the air and flew out of the room and through the workshop before hitting artic air.

* * *

** A/N**

**I'm attempting to keep these chapters relatively short. This would have had another scene on, but I felt it ended better right here! Also, the extra scene would have delayed this chapter even longer. But fear not, hopeful reviewers! The next chapter will be up in the next 2 days!**

**Seriously though, review please! I need to know if I need to fix or add in. Reviews really help!**


	5. The God of Small Things

**The God of Small Things**

Ammu said that human beings were creatures of habit, and it was amazing the kind of things they could get used to. You only had to look around you, Ammu said, to see that beatings with brass vases were the least of them. –Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

* * *

Alex sat back in the branches of the old tree in the Watts' front yard. The sun was just setting and Ben still wasn't home yet. He was probably still out with his new group of friends at the park. She wondered how his first day at school went. He probably had a nice time, sat with friends at lunch, and didn't have to suffer the painfully awkward '_Hi I'm the new kid, can I sit with you?' _

Alex sighed and leaned back in her branch and cast her gaze to the darkening skies. Why was she still here? It's not like anyone can see her. She knew she shouldn't have gone with the winter spirit yesterday. She might have been able to talk to Ben for a little while longer.

No, that's not true. Usually kids forget her the moment the have their problems solved. He probably forgot all about her after she pushed him into the snowball fight. She just wanted someone to blame for they way she was feeling. Alex had really hoped that Ben would be different; he had needed a friend after all…a friend like her. Of course, she has no such luck.

It's not fair. Why would the Moon tell these people to come and find her? Why should she help the Moon when he can't even help her be seen? It hurts when kids forget, like a constant reminder that they don't need her anymore. The Moon thought he could just tell her she had to help these…these Guardians because he was afraid for his own life? It's not like she can even do anything powerful, like command snow storms or control ice. She didn't have a holiday or a special date kids celebrate. Hell, she didn't even have a specific duty or responsibility to children. She just did what she could when they needed it. They could probably solve their problems on their own, honestly. Just what was the Moon playing at?

The sound of laughter pulled her attention from her thoughts. She turned her gaze from the small amount of stars to see Ben finally enter his house. Alex could hear him and his mom inside, talking about dinner and his day at school. He talked about all his other friends and subjects he had. He really liked science; they were learning about stars and planets this year. His voice drifted animatedly through the upstairs window about galaxies and black holes and the possibility of humans living in space. That stupid grin from earlier was back, stretching across her face even as her eyes cast downward. She tried to imagine herself in the room and that it was her Ben was talking to. The bedroom door opened up and Ben walked in, throwing his black backpack onto the bed. He pulled out a thick book, a textbook Alex assumed, and sat at his desk to do homework. She leaned forward to tap on the window, but stopped.

She almost forgot. Ben couldn't see her anymore. He didn't need her anymore. She leaned back and put her hands on legs. She really needed to go; didn't she have something to look for? She stood up on the branch, shaking the fall colored leaves from their fragile perch. She jumped into the air and floated up a few feet.

Right, the Lightening Blade. That would be cool to add to her collection, especially if it shot bolts of lightening from its-

"Alex?"

Far in her thoughts, she hadn't heard the window open. The 10 year old stuck his head out the window and glanced up in her direction.

"Where've you been? I've been waiting ages!"

Alex quickly turned around to stare at Ben. She floated down to his height and poked him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

Yep, definitely solid, but that didn't make any sense.

"You can still see me?"

"What? Course I can! Am I not supposed to?"

She honestly didn't have an answer for that.

"Seriously, though. Where've you been?" He asked again, moving aside so she could enter the warm room.

She landed on the carpeted floors before looking back at Ben.

This as never happened before. What was so special about him that he could still see her? Hadn't she helped him already?

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah! Yeah. Just had a long trip." She said bouncing onto his small bed. "Flew in all the way from the North."

"The north? Which north?"

"The North-North. What other north would I be talking about?"

Ben sat back down at his desk to work on his math homework.

"Well, I'm pretty sure lots of places have a north."

"Yeah, but this is the North-North. Like the Northest North you could possibly North!"

Ben smiled at her phrasing before looking back at his problem.

"So, what, like the North Pole? What adventures could you possibly have up there?"

Alex stopped bouncing, as Ben's mom shouted about the noise from downstairs. She sat crisscrossed in the middle and looked at the boy.

"I got invited to Santa's Workshop!"

"What! No way!"

"Totally did!"

She told him all about the long flight and meeting the various Guardians. She told him about the workshop and the yetis and elves. She even told him about them needing her help, because apparently she was just that awesome. She did, however, leave out the fact she had ran away.

* * *

"So why do they need your help? Do you have magic powers or something?" Ben asked, snuggling down into his warm blankets.

The night had gone on as they talked about her latest adventures.

"Or something. I don't know why they need me, but I don't care about that. You want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because now I'll have all new stories just for you.

Ben smiled at her explanation and he lay back on his pillow. The smile soon faded, however, as he began to consider the implications.

"But…"

"But what? I thought you'd be excited about that."

He sat up and considered the older girl in front of him.

"Won't you be gone a lot? Fighting bad guys and saving the day, and stuff?"

"I guess."

"So who will talk to me, when I'm at home or when I'm alone?"

"Well, you've got friends now, right? What about that kid, Jamie?"

"Yeah, but he's not you."

Alex sat back and stared at Ben. Damn, this kid. He was pulling at her heartstrings.

"You're my imaginary friend, right? What happens when I need you?" he asked.

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. No one had ever asked her that. But how was she to know when Ben would really need her? It's not like she can just keep flying back to his room every single night. She had adventures to live and stories to build. And if something or someone really was trying to take out the moon, she doubted they would give her the time to visit Ben.

An idea struck her and she reached into one of her pouches scrounging around the various objects stuffed inside. A rough, oval item knocked against her fingers.

"Tell you what," She grasped the object and pulled it out. "If you ever really need me, you can just…use a pager."

She opened her hand to show Ben the object. It was one of the rocks, no bigger than her middle finger, she had pulled from her pockets a few nights before. Ben looked from her open palm to Alex's face.

"Why did you say 'pager' then show me a dirty rock?"

"Because it's a surprisingly accurate description. Here, watch."

She held the rock close to her face and blew, just slightly, across the surface. A small cloud of golden smoke left her lips and seeped into the many pores across the rock. She closed her finger around the rock and squeezed tight. The golden light grew, then dimmed to a small glow. She opened her palm and placed the rock in Ben's hands. The golden smoke danced, like oil on water, just below the rock's surface.

"Wicked."

"It's a Calling Stone. I picked up a few after a trip to Lithuania."

Ben turned the rock in his hand, his fingers grazing over the many grooves and nicks. It was warm, like it had been sitting in the sun for hours.

"How does it work?"

"Well, you grasp it tight in your hand," She said curving Ben's fingers closed over the rock. "And you make a wish…or something. I'm not actually sure, but that sounds about right."

Ben raised an eyebrow at her instructions, but kept the rock close anyway.

"You promise you'll come back when I need you?"

"I promise. I'll come back even if you don't need me, but don't use the stone unless it's an emergency. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Now go to sleep, kid. You've got school tomorrow."

* * *

Alex had stayed until the next morning, watching him leave for school with his mother. She left the Watts' roof and floated into the air over the quiet town of Burgess. Snow drifted from the light gray clouds that seemed to never leave this area of Pennsylvania. She wondered if that had anything to do with Jack Frost visiting the other day.

She glided on her back, thinking about her next adventure. Comparatively speaking, the Lightening Blade seemed like a lost cause now. Especially since the Guardians had asked for her help with the missing spirits. But she couldn't just fly back to the North Pole after that embarrassing exit she made. Give it a few days, and let them stew. Then she'll waltz back in under the guise that she was over the whole '_Guardian' _thing and only working for the better good. Yeah, that sounded great. But what could she do in the mean time? She was pretty sure the Blade wasn't on Kaua'i Island.

Hmmm.

Oh, she could head over to Mongolia. She had been meaning to go by the area for quite some time. That would be perfect, and it would take about a day. Then she'd go back to face the Guardians. After all, who ever was trying to take down the moon has been working at it for centuries. They couldn't possibly get that far in the next couple of days.

She rose higher in the air and began to head out of the small town. It wasn't stalling if she had been planning this trip for a while, right? No, she was not stalling. It's not like the Guardians desperately needed her or anything. They were _The Guardians_ after all. If the situation had been serious, they would have all been in battle mode and calling in reinforcements. Not trying to convince themselves they needed some girl with glow-y powers.

Yeah, totally not stalling.

Alex flew past an old _Leaving Burgess_ sign when she noticed something, a lot bigger than a snowflake, drifting out of the clouds.

_Great,_ she thought. _Speak of the devil…_

She dropped down to the tree line, hoping the winter spirit hadn't noticed her yet. He couldn't possibly be looking for her. Not after that grand exit she gave yesterday. She really hoped he was just passing through to cause some snowy mischief, and not here to drag her back. She really didn't want to see them yet.

She ducked between branches and thick trunks until the trees became too sparse for adequate cover. The coast seemed clear, no floating person in the sky, or any icy sounds from close behind. She drifted out of the woods and back up into the air. The clouds above the snow-covered hills were thinner and less…gray.

Excellent. The God of all things Frosty can keep his brooding snow clouds. All she wanted was the warm face of the sun; something that seemed like a luxury in this part of the country. She whipped up past layers of white and broke through the cloud barrier. The warm light shinnied bright from the midday sun. The clear blue skies were a stark contrast to the cold winter weather below. It almost looked like a completely different world up here.

"Were you hiding?"

Alex jumped at the new voice. She spun around to face the winter spirit. He floated just behind her, arms crossed over his chest, and his smirk, still ever present.

"You were, weren't you?"

Alex mimicked his crossed arms in an attempt to cover up her surprise.

"I already told you, I can't be a Guardian." She glowered. The sooner this conversation was over with, the better.

"Yeah, I remember," Jack stated, floating closer. "I also remember you said you couldn't be a Guardian because kids forget you. But what about that kid, Ben?"

"How do you know about Ben?"

"He's the one who told me you'd be back. I'm assuming he can still see you."

Alex turned her gaze away.

"Yeah, still trying to figure that one out." She huffed. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to drop all my stuff and join you guys."

"What? Something serious is going down and you're not even going to try to help? Why, because of your exit yesterday? I mean, it was a bit embarrassing if you look at-"

"No! I've just got…stuff."

"…Stuff?"

"Yeah, you know. Places to go, things to find."

"So you're stalling?"

"I am _not_ stalling!" She shouted. "I've just got a very busy schedule ahead of me and I don't know if it's worth the time to give up my stuff for something that may or may not be happening. I mean, if someone was really trying to take out the Moon, wouldn't we be absolutely sure about it? And why are you guys the only ones to notice some spirits are missing, huh? Sounds like everyone else is used to these guys staying away from center stage. This whole thing could be a big waste of time. Time I could be using to cross some thing of my to do list. So, if you'll let me, I'll take my leave now."

She nodded to herself at the end of her rant and turned to head east.

"Alright, so where are we going?"

Alex stopped short.

"Excuse me?"

Jack drifted next to her and began heading in the same direction.

"You said you've got a busy schedule, right? Well, with two people working on it, you'd be done a lot sooner. Then you'd have the free time to help. So, I'm offering my services."

"You, want to come with me?" She said with some amount of disbelief.

"Sure. Whatever you get up to has to be at least 10 times more fun than searching through tons old books for some overlord of evil."

"My adventures are a lot more fun than just '10 times that'."

"Technically, I'll be the judge of that," Jack stated. "Since I am the Guardian of Fun, after all."

Alex considered the boy for a moment. She supposed two heads are better than one. It wouldn't hurt to have someone along, for once. Alex smiled at the thought. She'd never had a companion before.

"Fine, you can come. But I do have a few rules."

"I think I can handle them."

The two began their long flight east, towards the European continent.

"Rules, okay." She didn't really have rules, as she had never needed any, but she could come up with something so she at least sounded like she knew what she was doing.

"Do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and _don't wander off._"

* * *

The pair crossed the Atlantic Ocean rather quickly and began flying across land once they hit northern France. Alex was a bit worried about flying to far south. It may have been early winter for the northern hemisphere, but she wasn't exactly sure if Jack was made out of ice or not. She wasn't going to ask, of course. It seemed kind of rude to ask someone what they were made out of and if they would melt in certain temperatures.

"What is it that we're looking for exactly?" Jack asked, once they were cruising over the Austrian-Hungary border.

"Phoenix feathers. Two feathers would be nice, actually."

"Phoenix. Like the fire bird, Phoenix?...Okay," He said slowly, trying to see if she was joking.

She wasn't. Her face kept its light smile and her eyes remained forward.

"So, why phoenix feathers?"

"There's this guy in England who can make wands. I figured if I can find him two phoenix feathers, one for me and one for him to keep as a gift, he could make me one!"

She flipped onto her back to look up at Jack in excitement.

"Wouldn't that be cool? I could have my own wand! Thought I'm not actually sure how it would work."

"Alright, but why do you need Phoenix feathers, specifically?" He asked, still concerned about the possibility of meeting a giant bird that is known for setting itself on fire.

"Well, Unicorn hairs degrade after a while and I really don't want to kill a dragon for its heartstrings."

She could see the confusion still written across his face, but did nothing to alleviate it. Mysteries are the best part of immortality. It was the main thing that kept her going. She figured she could share it with her new friend.

_Hmm_, she thought. _Two new friends in the expanse of 2 days._

It had taken 85 years, but she had finally found people who generally want her around. Well, Ben definitely wanted her around; she still wasn't too sure about Jack. He may just be doing this to get her to help the Guardians later.

Alex looked up at Jack from the corner of her eye. He hadn't complained about the long trip, nor had he been trying to back up what the Guardians were actually trying to do. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Winds whipped past the two and pushed Jack a little farther forward. The wind didn't usually bother her when she flied through the air. She was able to cut through stronger gusts and sometimes ignore the wind completely. Jack, however seemed to rely on it to fly. While she kept her body still and her limbs close together to decrease wind drag, Jack had his arms and legs splayed out against the air and seemed to be constantly adjusting them. His body dipped and rose with the wind as if he weighed nothing more than a feather would. Well, considering how twig like he was, Alex figured he might not weigh that much at all. She was pretty sure if she stopped concentrating on flying, there would be no way the wind could hold her up. She was thickly built, all shoulders and hips, and there was no way she could float as _daintily_ as the winter spirit next to her was. She began to giggle when she realized Jack actually flew through the air like a snowflake would.

"What could you possibly be laughing at? We're miles above anything that could be considered funny."

Alex looked back up.

"Do you use the wind to fly?" She asked, hoping that it didn't sound rude.

"Yeah, don't you?"

"No," She shook her head. "I just sort of, fly, I guess."

"That doesn't make any sense," He pointed out. "Unless you've got invisible wings."

"Nope, I've just always been able to do this. Along with the other things."

"Other things?"

"Yeah, I can produce a sort of energy, like gold smoke. I can make weapons out of it, but I usually just make arrows for my bow." She explained, pointing to the old weapon on her back. "It's pretty nifty in the dark."

"Nifty, huh?"

"What about you. I assume you hold the rights to the cold and icy, but what's up with the Stick of Destiny?"

"It's called a _staff_, and it's a conduit for the_ cold and icy_." Jack mocked back at her.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I really didn't want to believe you were a sheep herder in your free time."

"Haha," he rolled his eyes. "That's very clever."

"I thought so."

* * *

Jack Frost surprisingly wasn't terrible company. As they flew through southern Russia, not once did they have a lull in their conversation. Topics ranged from favorite places in the world to the best places to find food.

"What do you mean you've never had pizza?" Alex shouted as they flew closer to the Altai Mountains of Mongolia.

"How would I have tried pizza? It's not like I can just call and get it delivered." Jack countered, squinting down at the geography.

"You poor child. We'll have to do something about that as soon as this whole Moon thing is taken care of."

"Child? I'm like, 200 years older than you."

"And yet, you're the one who's never had pizza. What's wrong with you?"

He ignored her comment in favor of pointing down at the landscape before them.

"Does this Phoenix of yours tend to leave trails of destruction behind it?"

"Not usually."

The mountains opened up into a massive valley, home to many small villages that had made the land their homes centuries ago. It seemed, however, as the two dropped closer to the site, that the villages had been wiped out by some external force. Many of the snow-covered homes had been completely destroyed, as if they had been crushed in from the tops by a giant foot. Several were still up right, but were the remains of a large fire that had moved through. Smoke rose high into the quiet air, and it was a wonder that there wasn't anyone moving around to help those in need. Alex really hoped that was because the village was evacuated, and not because of…well…

The sound of a scream and falling debris had the two spirits back in the air again. The village was completely decimated, and there were no signs of movement, except-

"There!" Jack pointed.

They landed in front of a still half standing building, all stone blocks and glass, it must have been a church or small temple. There were no bodies on the ground outside and Alex didn't really want to risk seeing what lay inside. Actually, she didn't want to meet whatever had caused all this destruction. Unfortunately, she didn't have a choice in the matter. Heavy, thudding footsteps echoed from inside the half ruins and were headed for the exit.

The pair backed up and readied themselves for whatever they were about to face. Jack held his staff in front of them defensively, the wood glowing a bright white-blue. The temperature around him seemed to plummet. Alex pulled her bow from her back. She squared her shoulders and drew its hemp string back to her right cheekbone. She kept both eyes open and steadied her breathing. Gold smoke drifted into existence around her fingers. As if following an invisible string, the smoke swam through the air and coalesced until it formed a thin line from fingers on the bow to fingers on the hemp string. The arrow, formed by her golden energy, looked more like a bolt of lightning. It's shape kept shifting and moving in its confined area, but remained completely silent.

The footsteps crept closer to the pair, and Alex could make out more than one set of feet. Those definitely did not belong to a human. The ground seemed to shake with every pound. The remaining structure of the building began to crumble and tilt as the owner of the footsteps stepped through the half remaining archway. Both Alex and Jack's weapons lowered just slightly at the sight of the creatures before them.

They stood up right on two legs and had no definable features. Their surfaces were smooth, save for a few cracks, and were a mix of different dark grays. They had no toes on their flat feet and had three fingers on each hand. They were creatures of pure earth and rock, and they towered over the two by a few feet. They had to be taller than the yetis, and were definitely wider than North himself. The only color the creatures held were in the two holes on their faces, Alex assumed they were meant to be eyes. Dark red light shined from the sockets and formed what looked like red veins around the area.

One of the creatures was carrying something in its hand. The object was also made of stone, but clearly a lot older than its current captor. It was no longer than Alex's forearm and had four sides that came together at the top in a point. It kind of looked like a miniature Washington monument.

The creatures paused in their slow movements to stare down at the two smaller spirits. The creatures narrowed their hollowed eyeholes and the burning red light seemed to grow brighter.

"Uh, please don't tell me those are what I think they are." Alex pleaded, more to herself than to Jack.

Golems, with eyes like fire, stood menacingly before them. In their hands, they held an old stone relic.

* * *

**A/N**

**So things are finally moving forward plot wise! Huzzah! I kind of felt like I rushed this, but I really wanted to get this out before Mother's Day. Also, my word count hit 16,000 without me noticing...Go Me!**

**Please review, give me feedback. It's nice to know what others think!**


	6. Great Expectations

**Do I need a warning? There is a bit of blood (Like not much at all) Just thought I should let you know.**

* * *

**Great Expectations**

That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

* * *

"I'm guessing this is what you guys were talking about." Alex whispered.

The Golems loomed before them, and seemed to size the two spirits up.

"Unfortunately, you'd be right." Jack answered.

He lifted his staff back in front of him as the stone creatures take a thundering step closer, their heavy arms swung in rhythm.

"They're not going to fight us, right?"

"Why? Never fought giant stone monsters before?"

The golems remained silent, their red eye sockets looked over the pair questioningly. They didn't seem very hostile, but they couldn't just let the creatures walk away. The relic, whatever it was used for, was important enough for the entire surrounding village to be completely decimated.

It almost felt like a cowboy showdown. Alex honestly expected tumbleweeds to pass between the groups. The head Golem, Alex assumed, as it was the one carrying the relic, turned to its partner. The spirits winced as a harsh sound, as if rocks were scraping against each other, tore its way from inside the creature. The head Golem turned away, and began to walk off as its compatriot stepped forward to take its place. It crouched down before them, with its arms touching the ground, like a runner at the start of a race.

"Do _not_ let it get away with that thing." Jack warned as he raised his staff offensively.

Alex nodded and took aim at the leaving Golem, her arrow aimed at its stone back. Both eyes locked on her target, she pulled the bowstring past her right cheek.

"MOVE!"

The crouched Golem charged forward with a speed that was way to fast for a creature its size. Jack jumped while Alex rolled to the side, both narrowly avoided being tackled by the living mountain. Jack swung around with his staff and shot a bolt of ice through the air. The ice incased the Golem from feet to waist, leaving it frozen it to the ground.

The Golem cast its hollowed, red gaze towards its stuck limbs. It raised its thick arms and beat at the ice. Its prison chipped and cracked before it crumbled away.

"Great," Jack mumbled. "I've got this one. Can you slow down the runaway?"

"I think I can handle it." Alex answered before jumping into the air.

The head Golem, with the relic clenched in its fist, had lumbered farther down the destroyed street. If its partner could move like a speeding bullet, why hadn't this one sprinted away? Maybe it had underestimated its opponents, and believed one Golem would be enough to take the pair down.

_Poor choice for you, buddy_. Alex thought.

The Golem's mistake would be her advantage. Alex moved away from the ice on stone fight behind her and took aim towards the unaware Golem ahead. The arrow, which had dissipated from a lack of concentration, reformed between the bow and its string. Alex squared her shoulders and pulled the string, taunt, to her cheek. Her fingers clenched, then relaxed, firing the arrow from the bow.

The arrow tore through the air like a bolt of golden lightening. It struck the creature in the dead center of its back, and exploded in a shower of golden sparks. The concussive force knocked the Golem to its knees.

"Strike!" She shouted, flying down closer to her opponent.

* * *

Jack brought his staff around again, this time coating the Golem's shoulders and arms. He could only cover so much before it would shatter the icy hold. Jack dropped down, narrowly avoiding the flying debris.

The Golem could only do so much as the winter spirit floated above him, far out off his reach. It had taken to throwing loose pieces of the destroyed homes around it as a makeshift weapon. The Golem hoisted a bundle of burnt wood above its head, and lobbed it through the air.

Jack brought his staff back in front him and held it with both hands near his shoulder, like a batter at the plate. The debris made a loud _CRACK_ against the staff when he swung it around. The makeshift weapon, now coated in ice, turned back on its thrower. It smacked into the Golem's head and knocked it flat on its back.

Jack dropped to the ground before the Golem. Bolts of ice flew from his staff and covered the Golem from head to toe. He didn't let up until the ice was a few feet thick. Jack propped himself against his staff and leaned back to admire his work.

It hadn't been a difficult fight, but he really did not expect the Golem to move as fast as it did. It was a creature of living stone for crying out loud! Well, all that speed didn't do much for it. The Golem was nothing more than a gray smudge in the middle of a huge chunk of ice.

A gray smudge with two pinpricks of fiery red.

Two pinpricks that seemed to be growing brighter. The ice fractured and split before melting away in clouds of steam.

"Oh, come on!" Jack shouted.

The Golem did not move, but the red light left the Golem's eyes much like the steam had left the ice. It drifted, silent, for a moment, before seeping into the ground. Jack narrowed his eyes. Where had he seen that before?

Jack looked back at the stone creature, whose body began to pop and crack. Now that its power source was gone, the Golem's body separated and collapsed, and crumbled into nothing but gray dust.

* * *

With the relic still held tight in the Golem's grasp, it pulled itself back onto its feet and walked off as if it had not just been shot at.

"Are you serious?" Alex questioned. "That was arrow was made of pure energy! You can't just walk it off like it was nothing!"

The Golem didn't acknowledge her, as it kept its slow pace moving.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! We're in the middle of a fight! There are rules if engagement!"

She huffed in frustration as it continued to pay her no mind. If an arrow to the back didn't gain its attention, she'd have to make something a little bigger. Alex clenched her fists tight as she glared at the creature's back.

_What was that?_

Dead center of the Golem's back, where Alex shot her arrow, tendrils of dusty ash branched out. It almost looked like a scar. Had she actually managed to hurt it? The tendrils were black, as if they had been burned into the stone. They reminded Alex of the Golem's face as they were the same shape and size as the veins around the its red, glowing eyes.

If she had created that from an arrow, something heavier and wider would definitely stop it in its tracks. She placed the bow on her back and put her fists on top of each other, like she held an invisible bat. Her skin shined with a sunny hue as the golden smoke drifted from between her fingers. Alex's brow furrowed with concentration and strain. The energy use on this weapon was a lot higher than when she made arrows. The smoke twisted and hardened as her second weapon of choice began to take form. She hoisted the heavy weapon above her head as the energy stilled into its final shape.

A giant, golden War Hammer.

"Hey Rockbiter!"

Either from her taunt, or in reaction to her energy, the Golem stopped and turned its head.

_SMASH!_

Alex curved the hammer down into the black scar. The stone surface cracked. The Golem was flung forward, off its feet, landing on it rocky face a few feet away. Alex lowered herself to the ground and walked over to the struggling Golem. The relic lay a few feet away from where it had been dropped. The Golem lifted its broken face and reached toward the object. This thing would not give up.

Alex towered over the fallen Golem. Its back had mostly crumbled away, and the scar had deepened and spread. She had never seen anything react like that before. Well, not when it had come in contact with her energy, anyway. The large black hole in the creature's back continued to disintegrate into the black ash. It wouldn't be long before there was nothing left. In the back of her head, she swore a deep voice shouted _Finish Him_ as she hefted the war hammer above her.

The hammer swung down in an sparking arc.

_SMASH!_

The Golem exploded in a flash of gold and red light. Nothing was left of the creature but a pile of blackened dust. The red light from its eyes turned to smoke and separated itself from the mess. Alex narrowed her eyes as the red light left the pile and seeped into the ground below it.

"What did you do to it?"

Jack drifted in closer as the wind began to scatter the pile away. Alex looked back at his he had room to talk. His Golem was nothing more than dust. His wasn't ash, but it definitely was dust. Why hadn't his Golem scarred like hers?

Alex chalked it up to different energies clashing and let it be. No use in crying over piles of dust.

"Told you I could handle it."

"I can see that," Jack said looking over her weapon. "I just didn't expect you to have a Hammer of Doom."

Alex looked down as the War Hammer began to shift and absorb back into her hands.

"Mjolnir wins, every time."

She smiled at the look of confusion that etched its way across his face before walking a few feet away. There, almost hidden in a pile of upturned dirt and broken wood, was the obelisk shaped relic the Guardians had been talking about. Alex crouched down up picked it up, turning the old object in her hands. The corners of the Relic had been worn and chipped. There were divots and small crevices all over the surface where moss had tried to grow. Alex peeled away the small plant life and brushed away the dirt to look underneath. Carvings covered Relic, and repeated itself on each of its four sides. If she squinted and cocked her head to the side, Alex could almost see how the carvings came together to resemble a guitar silhouette, or maybe a weird shaped vase.

"This is what you guys are after? It's a piece of crap!"

Jack leaned forward to look over her shoulder.

"It's even missing some pieces! Why would anyone-"

A stone arm burst through the ground. The pair yelled and jumped back in surprise. Alex had jerked and fell to her knees as her wrist was clenched tight in the Golem's three large fingers. The hand tightened, and she dropped the Relic in pain.

The arm, covered in veins of the red light, released Alex's wrist and grabbed the Relic. Both the arm and the Relic sunk into the dirt without another sound. Jack dropped down beside and began digging through the dirt. He only got a few inches before the ground became too hard. Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned.

"When we retell this story, leave out the part where I literally had the relic in hand."

* * *

300 miles west of the Caspian Sea, a man paced and grumbled to himself, beneath the shade of a large, sandstone boulder. Winds breezed through the flat, desert area, and swept up spirals of sand. Dunes surrounded the border, forming an almost perfect circle separating the desert waves from the smooth plot. The boulder stuck out at an angle, just at the eastern edge of the border, guarding its sole visitor from some of the harsher pulls of wind.

The man, who looked completely out of place in the environment, continued on with his quiet, angry mumbling, waving his arms around vigorously as if gesturing to an invisible person. His eyes were cast to the ground, his muscles clenched, as he swung around and paced in the opposite direction. His voice, regardless of the bitter and sharp words it made, sounded light and smooth as it carried across the empty space. A long cloak of dark red wrapped around his tall, thin frame despite the heat. His honey brown hair was slicked back from his olive toned face. A gold belt wrapped twice around his narrow waist and held a slender scepter of black wood. The ice white stone, held atop its branch-like fingers, remained dull and colorless.

Prometheus ground his teeth together and put his hands to his temples. His voice grew louder with each furious step.

"Taking so long!"

He flipped around and faced the other way, as if he was talking to someone behind him

"Should have gone myself!"

"Useless! Waste of energy!"

"Worthless! Time squandering… ηλίθιοι!"

The stone atop the scepter began to glow with a dull red light before returning to its original milky white. Prometheus stopped in his pacing and took in a calming breath. Of course they were idiots; they were only Golems. They knew nothing but the orders they received, brought to life by the magic Prometheus infused in them. He took another slow breath and looked across the landscape. He had made it this far; a few more hours would not hurt him.

At the thought of waiting for hours, he clenched his fists and paced under the boulder once more. This would not take so long if he had known about the Nibirus Relics beforehand. He could have gotten their locations out of Ganesha's mouth, rather than having to search through his elephant of a brother's library. That had taken a year by itself. The great God of Knowledge had been quite the recluse.

Of course his library would require its own pocket dimension.

Days would pass in that place just browsing an aisle of the enormous book collection. It would have taken Prometheus a lot longer than a year without the help of his scepter. Hidden behind enchantment spells and various guard 'dogs', Ganesha stowed a scroll, forgotten by time. Inside its aged papers held the hidden locations of the Nibirus Relics, each revealed one by one and only in a certain order.

Curse his brother for wasting his time.

"_Prometheus please! This is not right! He will tear apart this world and devour everything in sight! Do you think yourself special? He will leave nothing alive and that includes you-"_

_CRACK!_

_The scepter whipped across Ganesha's face in an arc of red, blue, and green light. The knowledge God's nose broke on contact. White, shimmering liquid streamed down his face in the place of blood. Ganesha coughed and fell to the marbled floor. He moved his arms in front of his face to protect himself, the fear in his eyes-_

What was that?

Prometheus stalled mid stride.

The memory, from centuries before, pulled itself to the front of his brain and demanded attention.

_The scepter bashed into Ganesha again, knocking him flat on his back. The God rolled onto his side, trying to protect his face. The scepter arced down, repeatedly on the broken body of his brother-_

Prometheus gripped his face with both hands and narrowed his eyes. He didn't remember the fight being that bloody. None of the battles were. He had done as Ranamorr instructed and absorbed their energies into the scepter's stone.

Right?

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to force the memories away. He needed to focus, he needed to-

_Pachamama was thrown to the ground, out of breath. Her black braids tangled around her neck and chest in the Bolas, her own, that had been used against her._

_Hunahpu stood amidst several split and burning palm trees. His shark toothed club lay at his feet. An orange, gleaming liquid streamed from the many lacerations covering his body. His eyes were heavy with unshed tears._

"_Traitor!"_

_"Snake!"_

_Ma'at gripped her Khopesh blade in one hand, the other around the wound on her stomach, leaking a pulsing purple fluid. Anger was drawn across her face and in her screaming voice._

"_You will meet justice for your crimes!"_

This was retribution, rightly deserved! They had backed away at the single word of their mother, like dogs…

Like pets!

They pushed him down and shut him away when he had only been looking for what they had been created for.

Recognition!

Love!

Why was he being tormented by these visions? He had done nothing wrong!

_Long silver hair shrouded the kneeling girl before him. Her home destroyed without much resistance. His favorite little sister had never been much of a fighter. Her milk white skin seemed ashen. Her voice quivered and hiccupped with barely held sobs. Terpsichore raised her silver eyes to the glowing stone held aloft by the black wood scepter._

"_Why?"_

"No!"

Prometheus fell to his knees and gripped at the sandy earth beneath his fingers.

"I did nothing wrong! You should have listened to me! I deserve this!" He shouted bowing his head closer to the ground.

A pain began to build in his chest. He moved a hand over his heart, but there was no wound.

No wound he could feel.

"I deserve this."

The scepter stone lit up with a dark red light and pulsed in time with his heart. His hand dropped from his chest to grasp the scepter from his belt. He leaned back on his knees and focused on the stone, watching it switch from color to color.

White, then Brown. Orange, then Purple. Green, electric blue, pink, gold, and dark blue. All with a hue of the dark red at its center.

The ache in his chest slowly went away with each change of hue. Prometheus slowly climbed back onto his feet, still cradling the scepter in both hands. The sun had set an hour before, throwing the desert into darkness. The only light came from the scepter, the moon, and the stars.

"I deserve this."

A patch of earth cracked and shifted near the sandstone boulder. It fragmented and rose from the ground, forming a Golem, much smaller than Prometheus had originally made it. It lumbered over to its master, waiting quietly for his word. The God turned and glanced at his creation, before he stowed the scepter back in its rightful place. He left the stone creature and walked into the desert clearing.

"Only one of you came back? Did the other get stuck in a sink hole again?"

The Golem didn't answer, but followed its master through the flat area. They came to a stop at the exact center of the clearing. A stone circle, 25 feet wide, lay in the middle of the area. Twelve square holes littered the inside edge of the flat stone, each equally distant from the others. Nine of the holes had obelisk shaped objects placed in them, holding them tight. The Golem stepped forward and it opened its right fist.

Prometheus took the tenth Nibirus Relic and placed it in the next available space. He took a step back and released a breath.

"Finally. What took you so long? It was just a human temple. And where is the other? I don't waste energy making you in pairs for one of you to get lost on the way."

The Golem twisted its head and answered in the harsh, stone on stone sound. It didn't move or gesture to help with its story, but Prometheus seemed to understand regardless.

"An ice sprite? Why would an ice sprite pick battle with a Golem…and win?"

The harsh sounds continued without hesitation.

"A crooked staff? Ice sprites don't…"

Prometheus' eyes narrowed, looking at the Golem in doubt.

"Jack Frost? You're saying Jack Frost attacked you?"

The Golem didn't answer. Prometheus leaned back and sighed. He cast his eyes to the sky, picking out the waning moon in an instant.

"Oh, why can't you go quietly, brother? It would be a lot easier if less people were involved."

At the Moon's silence, Prometheus shrugged and turned his gaze back to the unopened Tartarean Pit.

"Well, if your pets want a fight, fine. I've got no problem collecting snacks for Ranamorr's awakening."

The God turned back to his Golem before cocking his head in confusion.

"But why is there only one of you. Surely Jack Frost hasn't become that powerful."

The Golem remained silent, but lifted his left arm. Prometheus leaned forward as its fist opened. A small chunk of rock, completely blackened, dropped from its palm and into Prometheus' open hand. The rock disintegrated from the small force and a pile of ash took its place.

The God's eyes widened as he picked at the ash. Moving it around in a circle with his fingers.

"Is this all that is left?"

The Golem was silent, once again, but Prometheus didn't need an answer. He crushed the pile of ash before dusting it into the wind. He cast his gaze back to the night sky.

"Well, it seems you have a surprise up your sleeve."

He waved his hand and the Golem crumpled and disappeared back into the desert floor. Smoke, red like fire, seeped from the sand and absorbed into the white stone of the scepter. The smoke turned a darker red before fading out, the stone turning a dull white once more.

Prometheus folded his hands behind his back and sighed.

He would not be showed up by a space rock and its incompetent minions.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, so I meant to have this up Wednesday, but...well, that didn't happen. There was actually supposed to be another scene added in right at the end, but I liked the way it ended here. Im trying to get these up at least once a week, maybe twice if my schedule permits.**

**Please review, even if its just to say "Cool Story." Every review helps!**


	7. Fellowship of the Ring

**Wow, so this chapter took a lot longer to write than any of the others. Im not sure why, though. I've kept you waiting long enough. **

* * *

**The Fellowship of the Ring**

**The Road goes ever on and on/Down from the door where it began./Now far ahead the Road has gone,/And I must follow, if I can,/Pursuing it with eager feet,/Until it joins some larger way/Where many paths and errands meet./And whither then? I cannot say. -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring**

* * *

"So ya had the stone, and ya just… let them get away?"

Jack glanced over to Alex. She had yet to say anything but kept the grateful look in her eyes.

"It's not like we just _let_ them. It sorta got… taken from us. Forcefully_._"

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and sighed. His whole body seemed to slouch with exhaustion.

"Ya know what this means? That bloody pigeon was right! Great!"

Tooth flew around the group to catch Alex by the shoulder. Her smile was big, taking up most of her face and showing off her shining teeth.

"Thank you so much for helping out! How did Jack manage to convince you?"

Alex huffed and avoided looking directly at the bird woman.

"He didn't. The fact that we stumbled upon the golems was completely random. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time."

"But, you're helping us now…right?"

The question, simple as it was, weighed on Alex like the stolen stone relics had decided to drop into her chest. A slight frown etched across her face as she crossed her arms on her chest.

"Oh come on," Jack stated. "We saw what those things could do. The destruction they did to the village, and all those families are-"

"I know, and I get it! Bad guys are doing bad things. I'm all for taking out the criminal trash. What I don't get is, why me?"

"Just Alex," North started, putting himself at the head of the group, in front of the ever-turning globe. "We were all chosen by Man in Moon. Each of us holds something special at our centers, and Man in Moon has seen that something special in you. That is why."

The large man turned to face the Globe, gesturing to the pinpricks of light that touched every continent.

"That is why we protect the children. That is why we fight! Man in Moon knows that the children are in danger and that you are the key to helping them. You would not be here now if it were not for that special something."

"These_ Golems_ are causing destruction and harming the children. Alex, you may not know it now, but we wont be able to do this without you." Tooth explained.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Experience mostly," Jack stated, referencing a backstory Alex would have to drag out of him later. "The Man in the Moon has seen your center. It's what makes you,…you! What you did with the Golem was amazing! I've never seen _anything_ like it!"

_Neither have I. _Alex thought.

The pep talk was nice, but she wasn't even sure what a center was. Alex assumed they meant something metaphorically and not something physical and…squishy. The young spirit sighed and dropped her arms. If they were going to gang up on her with an inspirational speech, there was no way she could back out now and not feel guilty.

"Well I guess I can't really say no. It's for the children, after all."

Alex glanced at the spinning globe of lights before looking back at the Guardians. For a potential pre-apocalyptic fighting group, the hodge-podge mix of spirits looked rather happy to be where they were right now.

"Besides, this is gonna be one for the books! I mean, secret stone villains working together to bring down a supernatural group of all-powerful entities. We could literally be the only things standing in the way of a chaos storm."

"Don't get off ya bike just yet, Sheila. This ain't some fairy tale story for you to be braggin' about! This is real life, a'right!" Bunnymund growled.

"Yeah, yeah." She waved off.

_Just wait till I tell Ben._

"Right! Now we must wait for Aanka's information. Dingle, make preparations! When Sandy returns from making dreams, we will be ready for battle!"

* * *

With a snap of his fingers, candles mounted on the dark, stonewalls lit up with a red glow, before dimming to their natural orange hue. The room, which consisted of nothing more than four walls and an outcropping that worked as a desk, was large and cold. There were no windows or openings of any kind, but the howl of the outside winds could be heard just over the drips of water being collected in some corner of the room.

Now removed of his long cape and golden accents, Prometheus looked tired and underfed. Dark circles hung under his eyes and his breathing was louder than it had been in the past millennia. His heart seemed to beat harder and in time with the headache pulsing just behind his temples. He wrung his hands together before popping his neck from side to side.

There was work to be done.

His ailing body was not more important than the task before him. In a flash of red, a stained scroll appeared in the god's hands. Standing before the makeshift desk, Prometheus unrolled the ancient scroll with delicate fingers. The yellowed paper crinkled and crunched with each movement, and felt as if it would disintegrate with the smallest touch.

His eyes scanned across the paper quickly and efficiently. He had studied the aged ink a thousand times before and knew it well. His hands, one splayed out at the corner to hold the scroll down and the other tracing the same lines his eyes followed, held the smallest of trimmers. Whether from excitement or exhaustion, Prometheus did not notice. A smirk etched its way across his face the more he read through the scroll's secrets.

The eleventh Nibirus Relic had revealed itself.

Prometheus allowed the scroll to roll back up before disappearing it in another flash of red. He should have predicted the relic location long ago. Of course Ganesha would hide it there. The first ten had been in locations similar to that, had they not?

The first locations, Peru, Crete, and the village in India, had been a bit vague, but he knew what his brother had done. Ganesha had hidden the relics in places his brothers and sisters had considered home.

The final relic would be a tricky, not one he could simply guess now that he had all the clues. After all, Tsar Lunar did not have a home on Earth.

At the thought of his eldest brother, Prometheus placed a hand against chest. Hidden beneath his dark clothing was brown, leather pouch on a thin string. He pulled it from around his neck and emptied it onto his hand. Ash, blacker than normal, drifted from the pouch and collected on the skin of his opened hand. It was heavier than it should have been and gave off slight warmth like it had just been collected from a dying fire. Prometheus eyed the tiny pile before he crushed his hand into a tight, red fist.

The reaction was immediate.

Prometheus' hand flew open as the pile of ash exploded in a red and gold flash. Pain seared the god's palm as he shook the pile away. Sparks of red and gold fell to his feet and popped where the two colors met. What little ash that had been left from his earlier Golem had just been vaporized. The small amount of energy that had remained had reacted strongly against his own.

Prometheus raised his foot and snuffed out the remaining sparks. He didn't know what his heavenly brother had up his sleeve, but he would not be caught unprepared. He had worked too long, too hard for the Moon to just cast him aside once again. He raised a hand to wipe the sweat that had collected on his brow.

He knew only one person who could use gold energy similar to his own.

There was no way he was working for the Moon. There was _no_ way! He didn't know what his brother had planned, but it did not, _could not,_ involve that man. After all…

Prometheus had killed that man almost a century ago.

* * *

For a place that was known for its toy making capacities, Santoff Clausen had a huge library. Shelves and walls, made of a dark wood, were lined from floor to ceiling with various books. Each book, with its spine and title facing outward, stood in stark contrast in color to the wood holding them in place. All sizes and shapes filled the hall with little room to spare. Books littered the floor and chairs in organized piles. Some had even collected themselves on the rolling ladders connected to the shelves. Aisles upon aisles connected to a single hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. Glass cases, holding different objects and knick-knacks, stood next to each open archway like museum displays holding artifacts from all over the world.

Alex sat sideways in an overstuffed, red armchair. A book, twice the size of anything Ben had in his room, hid her entire upper body from view. Her feet, hanging from the side of the chair, bounced in rhythm with a song only she could hear.

With Sandy still out on rounds and the spirit named Aanka still gone, the Guardians quickly dispersed to prepare themselves for what Alex could only hope would be the fight of a lifetime. After Tooth had flown off with her mini-tooth fairies and Bunnymund disappeared through a rather large hole, Alex jumped at the chance to better explore the North Pole. Nicholas St. North was a well-travelled man, he was bound to have cool trinkets and souvenirs stashed somewhere.

She had quickly found the library only a few minutes beginning her search. Her fingers had drifted over the leather spines before pulling out a large, green book entitled _Dragons:_ _A Brief History_ in slanting gold letters. The hand drawn dragons and the story of the first Dragon Conqueror quickly entranced her.

"Dragons, huh?"

Alex jumped and cursed at the almost silent intrusion.

"Why do you always do that," She huffed. "It's not necessary, you know."

Jack chuckled at her grumpy face before casting his eyes around the hall.

"It is when you make it this easy."

He drifted over and plopped down into the nearest armchair. The old springs squeaked in the silence of the library. Unlike the others, Jack didn't seem very adamant on going anywhere to prepare. Alex almost asked if he actually had anywhere to go, but that seemed like another rude thing to ask. She had never really needed to talk with many spirits, so she didn't really know what the rules to socializing were. Asking someone about their physical components and if they had a home just seemed like things most people wouldn't want to talk about.

Alex closed the giant, dragon book before looking around the hall. It was quiet and empty. The sounds of movement echoed just outside the main doorway where elves and yetis rushed back and forth preparing for what may come.

Well, the yetis were preparing, Alex wasn't too sure about the elves. She had seen a group of the knee-high creatures carrying plates of cookies and various wires and cables, all either giggling or singing pop songs just off tune.

Jack sat with his arms behind his head, his legs stretched out onto another chair, and that ever present smile still on his face.

"Thanks by the way." She finally said.

"Hm? For what?"

"For not telling the others about my mess up."

"Well, you did ask me not too." He said before closing his eyes and leaning back.

For a group about to take on a potential moon destroyer, these guys were really relaxed. Especially this winter spirit. She actually could not think of a time she hadn't seen him smiling.

"It was a pretty big flop, though. I mean, you literally had it in your hand."

"Oh, shut it. I didn't see you trying to help."

"Whoa, hey. I totally helped!"

"Yeah, by digging through the dirt…The evil hand was definitely still going to be sitting there."

Jack sat up and swung his body around to face her.

"I'll have you know that it was partial rock I was digging through! I could have chipped a nail."

"Oh, yeah. That would be a tragedy."

Jack chuckled while Alex straightened herself in the seat. That cute, wintery smile was starting to get contagious. Silence reigned in on them again as the sounds of something heavy landed a floor above them. Garbled yelling could be heard along with the sounds of various, jingling bells.

"Jack, what did you mean earlier when you said 'experience'?"

"Huh?"

"When I was, well still am, wondering why you guys need me. I asked how did you know, and you said-"

"Experience mostly, yeah, I remember."

Jack sighed before resigning himself to retell his story.

"I tell you what, I'll give you my origin story if you share yours, deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

"Then the nightmares surrounded the lake and dragged him back to the hole he crawled out of."

Alex had her head on both palms; her elbows perched on the arm of the chair. The adventurous spirit loved a good story. It was even better when it came from someone who had lived it.

"Dude, whoa."

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome."

"Wait, so. The Jaime you know and the Jaime Ben knows are the same kid?"

"Yeah, it's weird right?"

"Pretty convenient if you ask me. You would have never found me if Jaime hadn't been the kid I smashed that snowball into."

Jack shrugged before leaning back into the old chair.

"So what about you? Where do you begin?"

"In an old swamp, actually."

He tilted his head and looked at her, curious.

"A…swamp?"

"Yep, about 10,000 miles south of here. I just popped out of the Brazilian waters and took off into the jungle."

"But," Jack sat up straighter, concern covered his face. "What about before. Before you were a spirit."

"What do you mean? I wasn't anyone before. Unless I was apart of the water cycle."

"Everyone was someone before, even me."

"Sorry."

"No, don't apologize. It's just,…you don't remember?"

"Remember what? I didn't have a life before I was….well, me. I've always been me. I think I'd remember if I was someone else." Alex huffed.

"No, that's not what I mean. Your memories, they're-"

The doors to the library burst open. A dark toned yeti with a rather large mustache began yelling at them in its rough garbled language.

"Wait, Phil, we're in the middle of something!"

'Phil' the yeti yelled again and motioned for them to follow.

* * *

Aanka was the cutest thing Alex had ever seen, and she had seen a lot. He only came up to just above her knees. His feathers, in a ruffled disarray from his flight, were speckled with brown and white. His talons were bigger than her own feet, with three toes on each side. Aanka's perfectly round face, however, was the icing on the cuteness cake. Aanka's beak was small and curved, and a darker brown than his feathers. His eyes were large and unblinking. They were mostly black with a small ring of yellow just on the outer edge. She didn't think the small creature could get any cuter.

Aanka tripped over his large claws, dumping various scrolls onto the floor and large table in the center of the room. His toes curled under and his head ducked down. Aanka pulled his wings up as if to hide in embarrassment.

Alex could barely contain her aww's.

Bunnymund sighed. He could already feel the headache building.

"H-here is all the proof you need! I know our f-first meeting didn't go quite as well, but you have to believe me! Something dire is coming to pass a-and I need your help."

"Yeah, we know-"

"T-this is very important. I know I'm small and not the brightest, but I was selected for a very important task."

"Would ya-"

"I have messed up, and I now need you five –er six, to help me fix it!"

"Listen ya bloody pidgeon!"

"Is alright, Aanka. We know of the situation." North explained, patting the bird firmly on his back.

The bird stumbled forward before looking at the large man.

"R-really?"

"Yes. We understand big picture now! We understand that the Gods are disappearing. Is very lucky that you discovered the link between them and missing relics."

Aanka blinked at the small compliment hidden in his words.

"I did?"

"Of course! We have been awaiting your return with all of valuable papers and what not! We can not move forward without your help."

"R-right."

Tooth took the liberty to fly forward. She landed on Aanka's left and helped to pick up some of his fallen scrolls.

"You were selected by Ganesha, after all." She added with a smile.

"Yes… Yes, of course! I-I was Ganesha's aid. I'm glad you've all finally come around."

Aanka stretched out his wings and ruffled out his feathers. He collected the scrolls from Tooth's hands and spread them onto the large table before him. The other six gathered around closer to the head of the table. Aanka unrolled the first scroll and held down each of the four corners with a cup.

"After countless hours of searching through my home tree, I finally found the collection of scrolls Ganesha gave to me along with the, um…I'm sorry who are you?" Aanka said after glancing around the table at the Guardians.

His eyes landed on Alex, and after a quick once over, he was sure he had never seen her before.

"Oh, this is Alex!" Tooth smiled.

Alex waved in response. Aanka looked from her to Tooth then to North.

"You are aware that this is Guardian business. I can not have multiple unnecessaries knowing the secrets of the Gods!"

"Unnecessary?" Alex reeled, narrowing her eyes at the saw-whet. The small bird just became a lot less cute.

"I assure you, Aanka. Just Alex is here for business. She is newest Guardian! MiM said so himself."

"That has yet to be determined." The girl mumbled again.

She crossed her arms and glared at Aanka. For someone looking for help, he sure was ungrateful.

"Right, as I was saying," Aanka started once more while spreading his wings over the opened scroll. "What we are looking for is actually a part in a set. There are 12 Nibirus Relics in total."

On the yellowed, thick paper, spread across the head of the table, a large inked drawing of the stone relic was etched on the left side. Paragraphs on paragraphs of symbols and languages Alex had never seen decorated most of the page in an elegant, fancy script. Aanka took the tip of his wing and followed the words.

"Each Nibirus Relic represents one of the original 12 Gods who protected the Earth in times of great evil. Each relic stands as a symbol for what the Gods believed as core values that humans needed to stay on the right path. Similar to your '_centers'_, I assume. The values were perseverance, fortune, curiosity-"

"Yeah, yeah. We already know that," Bunnymund grumbled, having heard this from North two days ago. "Why are these things stealing them? That's what we need."

"Right, right," Aanka mumbled, scanning his finger further down the page for more information. "Hm, here! The Nibirus Relics are the keepers of darkness and evil. Just as the 12 Gods did in the beginning, the Relics hold the secret to humanity's salvation. They are the key."

Sandy rose into the air so the others could see him over the table. With a sound like bells, dreamsand coalesced above his head. A thin key burst into existence along with a door handle over a keyhole. The key unlocked the door handle before the whole picture moved as if it were attached to an opening door. The images were replaced with a curly, dreamsand question mark.

"Ah, yes. The Nibirus Relics work together as one key to unlock something called…um. Well, there isn't really a word in English for it. The closest I can get is… the Tartarean Pit."

Alex sighed and dropped her crossed arms. "That's not good."

"You know what that is?" Jack asked leaning closer to the girl.

"Well, no, but I'm assuming Tartarean comes from the word Tartarus."

Aanka nodded in agreement while the other guardians held nothing but blank stares.

"Doesn't ring a bell? It's Tartarus like…well, Tartarus."

Bunnymund rolled his paw at Alex in a 'please continue' motion.

"Really? You've never…" Alex had to pause on this. These guys have been around for how many centuries? "It's the gates of hell. The keys open the gates of hell."

"Not exactly," Aanka called, gaining the attention of the room once more. "The Tartarean Pit is more of a cage than anything. I believe humans came up with the notion 'Gates of Hell' as they usually do when they have absolutely no clue as to what is actually going on. It is very typical of their species. Humans always have a knack for making-"

"Oi! We're running on limited time here! What's in the cage?"

"Oh, right. Well, I am not exactly sure."

"What!?"

Aanka put his wings up to calm the steaming Pooka before he continued.

"Ganesha didn't exactly write down what was in the cage here. What if this were to fall into the wrong hands?" He explained, gesturing to the scroll.

His wing tip returned to the page to scan through the words as quickly as possible.

"The only thing Ganesha wrote down in reference to the… ah 'prisoner' is…oh."

"Oh?" Tooth leaned over the saw-whet shoulder.

"It seems Ganesha only refers to it once, in all the scrolls I have been given. He calls it…the Great Darkness."

Silence fell across the room as they took in the information read to them. Keys opening an ancient prison and its only captive referred to as _darkness_. Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion before looking back at the scroll.

"So, wait. What do a bunch of stone golems want with darkness?"

"Right, I do have a theory about that," Aanka stated as he rolled the scroll up into its bound form. "I believe the Golems are nothing more than puppets doing the bidding of some higher power. The red light I saw coursing through their bodies acted as a power source for life to take form. It seems that someone is pouring the energies into stone to create followers…or henchmen."

Jack nodded and swung his staff across his shoulders.

"Alright, so we have an villainous puppet master creating monsters in preparation to open the gates of hell. That takes care of our evil quota for the week."

"Yes, well, you wont get very far on that…'quota' if you don't stop this villain before he ever gets close to opening the Tartarean Pit. You need to take care of him before he collects all 12 of the Nibirus Relics!"

"And how do you propose we do that? How are we supposed to find someone who can command golems to travel across the globe with a snap of his fingers? I don't suppose Ganesha left you a map of the Relics, did he?" Jack asked with the sarcasm strong in his voice.

"Actually," Aanka said unrolling another scroll. "He did."

Alex smirked at Jack. She could tell he honestly did not expect the bird to be this helpful.

The yellow stained paper of the scroll crinkled and crunched with each touch Aanka made. It lay flat on the table with the help of cups at each corner. A map of the world had been etched, in ink, into the paper. Alex could see that it was detailed enough to include even the tiniest of islands out in the middle of the vast oceans.

"Ganesha was the one who hid the relics. His choices were very complex and well thought out, as are all ideas brought about by the Great Ganesha. Each location represents one of the 12 Gods and a place they considered home. "

Like stars twinkling in the night sky, black specs appeared, one by one, on the map. It almost looked like an invisible hand was creating a 'connect the dots' page.

"It seems our puppet master has already collected 10 of the relics."

Relics had been hidden all over the map. The first appearing in Peru, just west of a mountain range. The next appeared in the small island of Crete. Then a small village in India. A town in Northern Italy, the banks of the Nile River, a cave in Ireland, the Island of Kaho'Olawe near Maui, The city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, a place called Godstow in Oxford, England, and finally the small village in Southern Mongolia.

"Now where is that eleventh…ha! Here we are!"

Aanka's wingtip pointed to the African continent. A black dot began to bleed its way onto the map. The eleventh Nibirus Relic was hidden in the Kilimanjaro Mountain Range in Northern Tanzania.

"I will admit. That was not as hard as I thought it was going to be." Aanka confessed while looking to the other Guardians.

"Yes, but if we were able to find Relic so easy, our puppet master must know where it is as well." North said with a grave tone.

"Then you must be on your way at once! Ganesha was counting on me and I failed him. Now I must count on you six. Do not let the Tartarean Pit open. Do not let him get the final Nibirus Relics."

* * *

**Ok, so this story has about seven or eight chapters left in it. I have a few ideas to make a few more sequels about the same length. They will go into Alex backstory more, include more myths and legends, and even a crossover or two. Let me know if you are interested in reading anything like that.**

**As always, please review. It's really nice to see what you have to say about my stories whether its a critic or just a 'nice story, bro'**

**Seriously.**


	8. The Red Badge of Courage

**Alright, so I was able to type this chapter up pretty quick! It was going to be longer but I liked how it ended here. The next chapter should be up within the next two days so be prepared**

**Our epic journey continues!**

* * *

**The Red Badge of Courage**

**The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. —Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage**

* * *

The commotion in Santoff Clausen seemed to triple in sounds and movement than it had been a few hours before. While toy making continued without a hitch, yetis and elves raced back and forth as the Guardians made their way down a few levels of the workshop. Doors burst open from the end of the hall, revealing the cold interior of an ice-covered cavern.

"Sleigh is being prepared. We will be in the air in no time!" North shouted as he led the group into icy tunnel.

Sandy jumped into the air and clapped excitedly. He zoomed ahead to eager to wait, Tooth following right behind. Bunnymund lagged behind. His grumbling words to low to pick up.

"Um, no offense, but I'm pretty sure it might be faster for me to just fly to Africa. I mean, I understand if this is your 'Mystery Van' but sometimes innovation helps." Alex said slowly to the large man.

North only seemed to laugh.

"Ha! Is very funny Just Alex."

He patted her on the back as he spoke. She stumbled forward a few steps before she caught herself. Alex crossed her arms in front of her and frowned at the man's back. She wasn't kidding, she could probably fly a lot faster than some sleigh that had been around for centuries. A cold arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Don't diss the sleigh," Jack said, pulling her close as if to tell her a secret. "This is definitely a ride to add to your 'to-do' list."

He floated a few inches above her before flying into the room before her. Alex's bare feet touched ice and she stopped.

"There is no way a hunk of wood can be that fast." She scoffed.

"You're in for a real surprise then, Sheila." Bunnymund grumbled, coming to a stop next to her.

"Are you kidding me? You have 'Alice in Wonderland' holes. Don't tell me they aren't as fast-"

"Hey! My tunnels are a lot faster than anything you've seen! North just likes to stick with tradition."

"Yeah, that's sort of my point. We're going to be stuck flying through European air space while the bad guy takes over the world. I'm just saying that were going to need a bit…of…"

Reindeer, the sizes of Clydesdale Horses, clomped and stamped their way into the tunnel. Harnesses, attached to each of the six animals, pulled and strained against their monstrous muscles. A sleigh, if you could really call it that, trailed behind. The red and gold contraption looked more like a wooden jet or a spaceship from a sci-fi movie.

"…speed. Oh, wow."

The sleigh included stadium seating benches and a large globe sunk into the front like the stylized command center of a military leader. Yetis wiped off moisture from the sleigh, leaving it shining in the light. The reindeers bounced and shook, eager to leave the tunnel. Sandy looked just as eager, already sitting in the sleigh, and waiting for the others.

"Like I said," Jack smiled, coming to rest next to the reindeer. "This is definitely one for-"

He turned around, expecting to see the girl still behind him, eyebrows raised in surprise. Alex stood in the sleigh next to Sandy, already inspecting every inch of the interior. The smile couldn't be melted off her face.

"This is so cool! There is no way you only drive this once a year. Do the reindeer actually fly?"

"Everyone loves the sleigh." North chuckled as he jumped in and pulled a struggling Bunnymund behind him.

With a snap of the reigns, the red sleigh took of down the winding tunnel with the sounds of Australian yelling drowning out any shouts of exhilaration.

* * *

A large, swirling portal burst into existence a few hundred feet above the east African mountains. The sleigh glided into the cool, night air as the portal dissipated behind them without a sound. The Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania welcomed the group with a drizzle of light rain and high winds. Off in the distance, lights from the municipality of Moshi shined against the horizon like a lone cruise liner on a dark sea. The sleigh lurched down before picking itself back up, to accommodate with the changing winds. Alex latched onto the wooden side, surprised by the sudden dip. Flying on your own was one thing, but putting your trust into an animal driven contraption was another.

"Good thing none of us get altitude sickness, huh?" Alex chuckled lowly.

"Speak for ya 'self," Bunnymund said, just over the winds before slapping his paw over his mouth. "I think I'm about ta see my lunch again."

The Pooka could turn an alarming shade of green for someone completely covered in fur. Tooth pulled herself to the front and caught North by the arm.

"Where exactly do we have to go? There weren't really coordinates on the map Aanka showed us."

"Is not much further," He assured them. "In fact, I think we have found it!"

"Looks like someone else found it first." Jack pointed.

The ground rose and plateaued, creating a peak shorter than the others of the mountain, but high enough that it overlooked much of Kilimanjaro's base and the flat lands beyond it. In the dead center of the plateau, stone pillars rose out of dying grass at various angles. Walls lay crumbled and half up. Statues were missing limbs or completely decimated, their stone bases holding nothing but piles of rubble. The sleigh landed on the stone floor of the large open area with a slight bump and the sound of metal on stone. The ruins were quiet, missing the sounds of any wildlife. Even the winds seemed to avoid the area. The six reindeer stomped their hooves in agitation and huffed with uneasiness.

"Do you think our mysterious puppet master did this?" Tooth asked, floating just above the cold stone floor.

Sandy drifted over to one of the half fallen pillars and picked at the line of weeds growing up and down its sides. A string of greenery, like a rooting vine, came away from the stone with clumps of dirt falling away from behind. Actually, a lot of the remaining stone had weeds and grass growing between cracks. Sandy looked back at the group before creating a dreamsand clock above his head. The clock hands spun counter-clockwise rapidly before the whole picture disappeared.

"Sandy is right. Whatever battle took place here was long time ago. No telling who or what destroyed it before." North stated, looking around the ruins with wide eyes.

Alex drifted over to one of the remaining stone walls. She ran her fingers over the many cracks and holes, trying to feel the aged surface for what it had been years before.

"This belonged to one of the Gods, right?" She said more to herself than the others. "The Nibirus relic in Mongolia had been hidden in a still standing temple. So why was this place destroyed?"

Jack stuck his head into a nearby archway. The room inside had long collapsed in, but it was shaped like a stretched rectangle and connected to many other archways. Bunnymund joined him before walking on further into the ruins. His ears twitched this way and that and his paws kept moving up as if to ready his weapons.

"This place has a bad feelin' attached to it, mates. I say we find the trinket and high tail it outta here."

"If it's still here." Jack mumbled.

Alex glared at the boy's pessimistic attitude. Jack only shrugged before flying closer to the girl.

"What? You're thinking it too. What are the chances that we actually got here faster than our evil villain?"

Sure, she was thinking it, but she wasn't going to say it out loud. A little positivity can go a long way. Alex crossed her arms over her chest and looked over to North. The large man was inspecting what looked like a stone chest.

"So, is this the part were you say '_Let's split up gang!'_ Bad guys tend to show up not long after that."

"Is good idea," North said standing to full height. "We will break in groups. Cover more ground that way."

He motioned to Sandy and the two made their way down a half collapsed stairwell.

"Bunny, do you think you could help me move this pillar? I think there might be something in the room behind it." Tooth asked, flying to the far end of the area.

"Guess that leaves you and me kid." Alex smiled, slapping Jack on the shoulder before rising in the air.

"Again with the kid calling. You do know I'm the older of us, right?"

* * *

The two spirits decided on an aerial view of the ruins before getting their hands dirty in centuries old rubble. The area was laid out like a large rectangle, with various rooms and half destroyed stone rings at each corner. A winding path of crumbled stone wrapped around the ruins like a poorly drawn medieval battle shield. Alex twisted her head to the left before flipping it back to the right. She narrowed her eyes and backed up into the air to better take in the whole shape. Jack raised an eyebrow at her actions.

"I think this is a castle."

Alex scanned the area around the ruins before looking back at Jack in confidence.

"Yep, definitely a castle."

"And what makes you think that? It's nothing more than a pile of rocks. This could have been another temple or something." He questioned.

"No, no. It's totally a castle. Here," She said, moving closer to the boy so his eyesight would fall in line with her pointing finger.

"This line of stone that rings around the outside? That's the outer wall. And where we landed? That's the courtyard, just inside the inner wall. There are even tower foundations on the corners."

Jack tilted his head and looked at the overall structure a second time.

"I bet it was built on this plateau for a battle advantage. It'd be pretty hard for an army to fight while it scaled a freaking mountain." She said, hands on her hips.

"Alright, so a God with the tactical knowledge of battle strategy gets his entire castle obliterated. I'm willing to bet a fight with him wouldn't be a walk in the park."

"Which makes this even weirder." Alex pointed out.

"Does it?"

"Yeah. Our villain went through all the work of taking out a pretty powerful god a long time ago, but leaves the relic hidden? Why didn't it get take the first time?"

"Maybe he didn't know about it?" Jack suggested. "Or maybe he didn't think it was important enough before."

Alex crossed her arms again, unsatisfied. Why would someone, with the knowledge of opening Hell's gate, go through the trouble of killing the only people who could stop him, but not collect the actual keys? It just didn't add up.

"Hey," Jack said, poking her in the shoulder. "His mistake, right? Good guys: 1, Bad guys: 0."

"If you're going to score, it's more like Good guys: 1, Bad guys: 10. He already has the ten other Nibirus relics, remember."

"Can't you just accept a win as it is? Don't ruin it with your logic!" He laughed.

"You're just mad because you're wrong," She joked poking him back in the shoulder, hard. "Now come on, Frosty. Last one to find an ancient doomsday relic is a rotten Easter egg!"

"Ha! You're on!"

The two dropped a few feet before shooting across the ruins looking for a place to begin their search.

Alex halted in mid-air. Jack hit her back at full speed and the two tumbled through the crumbling roof of a nearby room. The wind caught Jack, slowing his fall, but Alex hit the ground with an _oof_ before rolling to a stop on her hand and knees. Jack put a hand to his chest from the impact before looking around for his crash test buddy.

"Whoa! Hey, are you-"

Alex jumped to her feet and scanned the surrounding walls. A hole, the size of a small car opened the enclosed room to the open air and the dark horizon. She put a hand on the back of her neck before moving closer to the opening.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, landing next to her.

He cast his gaze out the hole, but spotted nothing except the open air.

"I…I don't know."

For a split second, she had felt it.

A bolt of _something_ had overcome her. It left Alex with conflicting feelings of warmth and danger. Like a knife covered in a thin silk or a hand too close to a flame. Something was coming and she wasn't sure what to do about it. Alex wanted to go out and greet it, but at the same time, turn and run screaming.

Something was closing in on the Guardians

* * *

For a second, he had felt it.

He had felt it again, after so long.

It had wrapped around his chest and held his heart captive. The feeling had brought both comfort and anger and his brain wouldn't let him decide which to feel.

Seek it or avoid it?

Embrace it or cast it away?

Enjoy it…or destroy it completely?

It left him breathless and a swell of panic overcame him. It was _so _familiar, yet he could not place it. As quickly as it came, it disappeared.

Power surged through his veins and called his attention with an answer. That was the enemy, it was dangerous, and it must be taken care of. He narrowed his eyes and brought himself back to his task. He would not be side tracked by a twittering in his chest. Whatever had just occurred was willing to throw him off and obscure his sight.

He took a deep breath. As he exhaled through his nose, he tossed the moment out of his mind. He would deal with the random nuisance later. Once he discovered what had caused him to momentarily halt, he would rip it apart with his bare hands. Nothing came in between him and his mission.

_No._

There, in the back of his mind, deep in his subconscious, something awoke. If it had a physical body, it would cough and sputter trying to take in large gulps of air. It was small and weak, but alive nonetheless. It struggled in its sudden burst of existence, but did its best to stay hidden from him. It had been buried for so long, but it could wait a little while longer. Revealing itself to soon would have it destroyed for good. The bolt of _something_ had been like the gas that fueled the fire, but his desire to destroy the feeling was the spark. As he neared closer to his goal, it would watch for its opportunity. It would not let him win.

_No._

* * *

"We've got a major problem!" Alex shouted, flying into a still covered hall.

Jack trailed a few feet behind, their previous collision still a pain in his chest. Her hoodie and red linen wraps did a good job at covering up her body, but she was definitely not a skinny teen. The girl may not have bones visible but, man she must be built like a rock. He was pretty sure her earlier meeting with the stone floor hadn't even fazed her.

A furry head poked itself out of an archway at the farthest end of the hall. Bunnymund looked over the two before raising and eyebrow.

"Don't tell me a Sheila like you is afraid of the dark." He smirked.

"Bunny!"

"What?" He said sticking his head back into the room.

Alex looked down to her clenched fists. Her skin was glowing with a soft sunny hue. She hadn't even realized she had readied her powers. Gold smoke danced as it waited just below her skin.

"She's the one lit up like a nightlight on a mountain. I'm just making an assumption. No need ta get ya nickers in a twist."

Tooth had her hands on her hips and a small frown graced her features.

"You could stand to be a little sensitive. It's no small feat facing your fears. I happen to know a very large rabbit whose terrified of little-"

"Okay! I was only jokin'. No need ta tell these two yahoos everything!"

Oh, Jack was definitely finding out about that later. Right now, however, something was about to go down.

"Guys, I really think we need to listen."

Tooth hovered out of the archway as Bunnymund pulled himself into the hall. Both had heard the serious tone the winter spirit very rarely spoke in. The Pooka wedged himself close to the walls as the floor had been ripped up down the middle.

"What's wrong?" Tooth asked, flying closer to the two.

Alex took a deep breath and released her hands. The golden tone died down as her fist unclenched.

"Something big is happening." She said.

"A lot of big things are happenin'. Ya gonna have ta be a bit more specific." Bunnymund replied, finally making his way up the hall.

"I-I can't really explain it. We need to find North and Sandy, I have a feeling-"

"Wait. Are you tellin' me you stopped us from looking for this stupid relic because of some feelin'?" Bunnymund huffed in disbelief. "We don't have time for this! Moon knows what will show up and try ta stop us. We need ta find this thing!"

"We have found it!"

The four whipped around to face the archway. Large breaths and pounding footsteps made there way to the start of the hall. North put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"What do ya mean ya found it?"

"The relic?" Tooth asked zooming forward towards North. "You found the Nibirus relic?"

"We've only been here for like an hour." Jack pointed out. "How d'you find it so quick?"

North took in a gulp of air and straightened his back out. He put a large hand on Tooth's shoulder and smiled.

"Eh, not exactly. We have almost found it." He explained.

Groans echoed from three of the spirits while Tooth's shoulders sank. Her wings buzzed faster as she gave herself more height.

"What do you mean _almost? _North, we don't have time for _almost!_" She explained, glaring down at the man.

He put his hands back on her shoulders and pulled her down to normal height.

"We have found door with same symbol as the pictures Aanka has shown us. Sandy is working on opening it now, but it was built strong with thieves in mind. So, we have _almost_ found it."

"Well, let's all get on it then. The quicker we get that door open, the quicker we can get out of here." Jack said.

"Jack is right! Teamwork is dream work, yes?" North laughed.

He turned in the small space and led the way back into the courtyard. Jack caught Alex by the shoulder, just as she passed through the archway.

"Hey, are you okay? I don't know what you were feeling before but it didn't look good."

"I'll be better when we get out of here. We just need to hurry." Alex stated, her eyes avoiding his.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, mom. I'm sure," She said with a strained smile. "There's no need to prove you're older by becoming an old crone."

Jack didn't respond to the comment, as he obviously didn't believe her, but dropped his hands anyway. Alex turned away and began heading for the rest of the Guardians. With one hand, Jack propped his staff against his shoulder. The other wrapped around Alex's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Well, there's no need to prove you're younger by pouting like a kid. We'll be fine, Alex. We saved the world once we can definitely do it again. It's not like we're fighting the Nightmare King and his army of fearlings. You know, something that was actually difficult."

Alex rolled her eyes and _finally_ gave him a real smile. Her bright smile made him realize the difference in their temperatures. She didn't seem to notice the cold creeping through her hoodie, but he definitely noticed the warmth creeping in his. Her body heat felt like sunrays on an early spring day. It felt nice.

_Really _nice.

Jack quickly dropped his arm and zoomed forward before Alex could see just how warm his face was suddenly growing. Alex raised and eyebrow at his actions, but shrugged and quickly followed. 85 years of travelling around the globe and boys were still weird.

* * *

At the very back of the first room, just past the destroyed courtyard, a square hole was hidden behind a crumbled wall. It was open to the air, as its wooden doors had long since fallen from their hinges, and led into the darkness with a half collapsed stairwell. Beneath the ruins of an old castle, deep in the mountain itself, the Guardians gathered in a room untouched by the destruction floors above. The large area was made up entirely of smooth stone. Pillars and mounted torches separated the various weapons decorated the walls. Axes, swords, hammers, and spears crossed each other like X's in their mounted positions. The weapons, despite their obvious age, still shinnied from the combined golden glows of Alex and Sandy.

The floor was engraved with multiple symbols and markings. They wrapped around the perimeter made by the walls and spiraled across the stone in tight circular patterns. A stone circle, sitting taller than the floor by a few inches, sat in the middle of the floor like an epicenter to the waves of engravings around it. Just as North had said, the strange vase/guitar like symbols decorated the rim of the circular stone; an engraved earth at the center.

"So, this is a door?" Tooth asked.

She had a right to be unsure. There were no identifying marks that made it look like it would actually open. In reality, it looked like it had been carved straight out of the stone floor. If it did open, it was going to take a lot of effort and strength.

"Must be," North answered inspecting the various symbols. "What else would it be?"

Dreamsand drifted in tendrils from Sandy's hand and surrounded the stone in a thin line. There was a crevice between the 'door' and the floor, no more than a crack. If Sandy could get his dreamsand through, he could possibly open it from the inside.

Since it seemed like a one-man job, Alex decided to take a look around the hidden room. She would only be a few feet away if they needed a hand. Or more light. She walked to the farthest wall using only the balls of her feet to avoid stepping on the old carvings. With no one left to care for them, she really didn't one to be the one to cause them any more harm. The diversity of the weapons held in the room amazed her. Alex had seen and made many different weapons in her time, but some of these she had never seen before. Thick wooden poles with wicked hooked blades, scythe like blades with spear attachments, and many with multiple blades with small hand space. They almost looked jumbo sized swiss army knives for warriors. Her hand drifted to the first couple of weapons that she could reach.

A set of crossed spears under a lemon shaped shield.

She assumed the shield was for show, as it seemed to be made of some sort of animal hide. The spear poles were six feet long and made of a light colored wood. The spear-head was an intricately formed dark metal, with numerous diamond and oval shapes leading up to the actual spear point. She moved her finger to the tip. After years of being down in this dark hole it couldn't possibly be-

_OW_

Alex yanked her hand back and stuck her finger in her mouth. Yep, still sharp. She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had spotted her cutting herself on a centuries old weapon.

Bunnymund had strayed only a few feet from the group, using the light from Sandy's work to look through a woven, reed basket. Jack had similarly drifted off to the far wall, also inspecting the weapons. He stayed within Alex's small radius of light, but kept his back to her. The rest of the room stayed dark and unexplored as North and Tooth remained at the stone circle, ready to help Sandy should he get through. Alex seriously doubted the small spirit would be able to get through that quickly. It would take some time to get the relic.

"Say," She started, gathering the attention as her voice broke the heavy silence. "What are we gonna do with the Nibirus Relic once we get it?"

It was a good question. No one had yet brought up the 'after' part of this plan.

"It will be best if we bring relic to Aanka. We can decide what to do with it after it is safe and away from evil hands." North mused without turning from Sandy's work.

"Well, what about the others? If we somehow get them back from whoever is trying to take them, what do we do with all of them? We obviously can't put them back in their original places."

"Like he said," Bunnymund started, walking closer to the group. "We could just hand them over ta the pigeon. He knows the most about 'em. Would probably be our best bet."

"Really?" Jack asked with doubt heavy in his voice.

The saw-whet owl was smart but he did get his relic taken from him pretty easily. From what he told the Guardians, Jack doubted he even put up a fight. He did not want to have to go on another treasure hunt in a few years because they put all their trust into the wrong bird. He had nothing against Aanka, but Jack just didn't see him as the protector of Hell's keys.

Bunnymund opened his mouth to say '_they'd deal with it when they got there_' but stopped. His mouth snapped closed and his fur seemed to stand on end. His ears twitched back and forth, hearing something the others couldn't. He pulled two boomerangs from their holders and turned to Sandy.

"You're gonna want ta hurry up, mate. Time's runnin' out."

Tooth's wings slowed their buzzing as she strained to hear out of the room. The group stopped moving and looked at each, waiting for something to happen.

A beat went by. Then a second.

Nothing happened. Five heads turned to Bunnymund who had his eyes narrowed at the ceiling. No one moved or said anything but the Pooka, who kept tensing and un-tensing his muscles, his eyes running back and forth over the stone.

"Times up!" He shouted tearing out of the room and up the stairs.

"Bunny, wait!" Tooth yelled, trailing after.

"Sandy, keep up work! We will keep look out!" North ordered.

Sandy resumed his sand working. He gave the large man a small smile and a thumbs up. Alex took one more look around the undisturbed weapons before she and Jack followed North into the destruction above.

* * *

**And that's chapter 8! Chapter 9 will be up pretty soon as I had typed it up as a part of chapter 8. I've decided I'm going to go ahead and make this a JackXOc story. No big relationship things will happen until the next story, but believe me, there will be tons of awkwardness ahead for the two.**

**As always, please review! I love feedback!**


	9. Cat's Eye

**Well, I finished this not long after chapter 8, but we no longer have internet in our household...Lucky me! So, here I sit in the public library editing and uploading and getting my Tumblr fix. Someone please help me.**

* * *

**Cat's Eye**

**Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space. —Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye**

* * *

The ruins of Kilimanjaro were still and untouched. No explosions, rays of light, or battle cries echoed across the silent area. The sleigh still sat in the courtyard, the reindeer stomping and whining as Bunnymund leaped out from the stone stairwell. His furry body landed in a crouch and stayed there. His large eyes scanned the destruction of the castle while his ears moved this way and that. His grip on the boomerangs tightened as his muscles tensed, ready to pounce. Tooth rose from the dark stairwell casting a wary glance around the crumbled stone. She could not spot what was making him so worked up. Jack and Alex were the next to fly out of the darkness followed more slowly by a breathless North. The reindeer seemed to calm at the sight of the large man, but only slightly. North grabbed the front of the harnesses and guided the animals and sleigh out of the courtyard.

The sound of metal on stone seemed to break Bunnymund from his reverie. He stood to his full height and took a reading breath in.

"Bunny, are you sure you heard something?" Tooth asked, still scanning the area for a threat.

"Didn't hear it, but I can sure feel it." He answered.

Alex would have commented on the fact that she had said that earlier and got shut down by him, but she could feel it too.

Still feel it.

The feeling from earlier had not left her, but had been easily pushed aside. She didn't really want to think about it. She had met dangerous things and had encountered terrible people. Not once had she ever felt what she was feeling now. It was almost as if it was telling her something was coming. Something good, but…

Definitely something bad.

Alex wished the sudden existence of her '_spidey sense_' wouldn't have been so defective. Was it a good thing or not? She assumed that if she had to ask that question, it probably wasn't a good thing. Similar to earlier, it left her with the sense of warmth and danger. Like a comforting hand too close to her neck or her face slowly sinking under the warm water of a bath. She pushed the feeling aside once again. Whatever it was, she had never met it. Half good feeling or not, she was not going to face a stranger, with possible ill intent, unprepared. Alex pulled the wooden bow from her back, but kept it by her side. Creating an arrow would only give their location away sooner.

North made his way back over to the group, his swords drawn.

Wait.

Alex did a double take of the large man as he made his way to the circle of spirits. Santa had swords? She looked over to the others, curious. Bunnymund had his boomerangs, of course, but Alex wondered about the other pockets on the leather belt across his chest. She thought they looked egg shaped, but why would he carry Easter eggs so close to his weapon holsters?

Tooth seemed to have pulled a few mini-fairies from nowhere. Her wings, buzzing faster than before, glinted in the small amount of light. She didn't have a visible weapon on her, but Tooth seemed ready for what ever they were about to face.

Alex wondered about Sandy. The silent spirit could conjure up anything with a thought, but they would be made of sand. Was that really effective? Or did it somehow harden when faced with danger? Jack had said they fought against the Nightmare King four years ago. Were these fairytales characters really hardened warriors? It seemed as though the Moon had made soldiers for himself. If that was the case, it made sense why she was chosen. She may not have super strength or power blasts, but she could create any weapon she could think of. Though she didn't have much experience in battle, it would be a tactical advantage to have a versatile player. That made more sense then whatever center North had been talking about. Her _special something_ was her energy manipulation, not some metaphorical reason for existence.

Hmm, that bummed her out a little more than it should have.

"What the…"

The sound of Jack's voice pulled her from her thoughts. Loose stone and pillars began to crumble and fall, as the ground beneath them seemed to vibrate. Pebbles and clumps of dirt shook against the moving earth, and a sound like angry bees filled the night. Then, at the front of the courtyard on top of a half demolished wall, the air ripped itself in half.

A swirling portal, not unlike the snow globes North possessed, opened ten feet above the wall in a flash of blood red. It was large enough to swallow a mini van. It pulsed in time with a silent heartbeat and sucked the surrounding air into it. With another flash as bright as lightning, the portal collapsed in on itself leaving nothing but a lone figure in its space.

The man, with glowing eyes the same shade as the portal he came through, frowned as he took in his surroundings. He held his hands behind his back, his long red cloak making him look bigger. His honey brown hair laid smoothed back against his scalp and undisturbed by the earlier movement of air. The shining belt wrapped twice around his thin waist and the large golden discs holding his cloak to his chest gleamed in the dying light of the Moon. The sun would be up soon, fully obscuring his brother from view. He would have to work quickly if he wanted his brother to see the beginning of his end. The sound of buzzing wings and a bowstring being pulled tight brought his attention to the crumbling stone floor below him. His brother's pawns had actually showed up. It did not change anything. They would be nothing but stains on the bottom of his boots soon.

Prometheus looked down at the five spirits in disdain.

* * *

"Our antagonist reveals himself." Alex mumbled, readying her bow but not yet creating the arrow. No sense in showing your cards before the game starts.

The man thoroughly looked over the group before he huffed and closed his eyes. A look of indifference covered his face. Jack clenched his fists around his staff, aiming it at the man. North pointed his swords and Bunnymund steadied his boomerangs. Tooth and her mini fairies hovered behind them, ready to take off any second. A moment of silence passed between them as the Guardians waited for the stranger to make a move. Or a sound.

Anything at all.

Alex lowered her bow just an inch and looked at the others. They glanced around as well, confused at the man's silence. It was their first meeting with the villain and he had yet to say anything.

She really hoped that this was their mysterious 'puppet master' and not just some random spirit that happened to come across the Guardians. She didn't want to know what would happen if they attacked some innocent bystander. Bunnymund still had his eyes narrowed, his ears and body as still as stone. If he wasn't looking for whatever he felt earlier, then this had to be it! Alex still felt the feeling from before, but it had not increased in strength. In fact, Alex was pretty sure she could ignore it completely if she concentrated.

"извините," North started. He lowered his weapons just a hair to see the man's face. "We are Guardians of Childhood, chosen by Man in Moon. We-"

"Yes," the man sighed. His voice was light as he spoke in an unknown accent. "I know who you are. I am aware of my brother's soldiers."

"Brother?" Tooth whispered from behind them.

"Let's see if I remember correctly," He said as he finally opened his eyes. "You must be E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny."

He pointed at Bunnymund who only growled lowly. His finger moved up the line of Guardians as he named them for his reference.

"That would make you Nicholas St. North and you, Toothiana. I see you happen to be missing a certain Sandman from your ranks."

"I'm sorry, did we hear you correct? You said your _brother,_ as in the Man in the Moon's brother?" Tooth asked; her wings slowed as she lowered herself closer to the ground.

"You're one of the 12 Gods?" Alex added in disbelief.

The man seemed to smile when he heard her speak.

"You have heard of me then." He stated standing a little straighter.

"Well, not really," Jack said, "We assumed they were all dead. Except for the Moon, of course."

The smile seemed to grow bigger as he turned to Jack. His eyes lit up just a little and his voice held a laugh.

"Well, It seems that I _have_ heard of you. Jack Frost! Bringer of ice and snow."

That took Jack by surprise. Most spirits didn't say his name that happy. The man before them clapped his hands once as he let out a small chuckle.

"I'd be lying if I didn't admit I had been looking forward to meeting you."

"Uh, really?" He asked.

"Oh, absolutely. I never let a debt go unpaid."

Jack glanced over at Alex who just shrugged at the statement. She had no idea what was going on.

"I'm pretty sure you don't owe me anything."

The stranger only seemed to find his words funny. His eyes closed as another laugh pulled itself from his throat. It was a surprisingly nice sound in such a tense situation. It had Alex's shoulders relaxing a bit as she lowered her bow more. Both hands still held it tight, but it rested just under her navel.

"You seem confused," The man said, quieting his laughter. "You are the one who owes me."

"I do?"

"Yes. After all, it was you who destroyed my golem in Mongolia. The poor creature was only doing its job."

That got the Guardians' attention. Their weapons jumped back to their original positions as they realized who this man was.

"Your golems? You're the one stealing the Relics?"Alex asked, her bow back to its offensive position. "But you just said you're one of the Gods!"

"Do not speak as if you know me!" He growled, all smiles and laughter leaving his face. "I am Prometheus, God of Perseverance. You will respect my name and fear my power in your final moments of life."

Prometheus cast his hands from under his cloak. They lit up with red energy that danced like fire. The floor crumbled and cracked around them as mounds of earth rose up from the stone. With veins of blood red power coursing through their bodies, golems clawed their way from the dirt and stood before their master. The rock monsters took improved forms before the Guardians. They stood at least two heads taller than both North and Bunnymund. Four arms adorned the golems, two on each side of the torso. Their three fingers, on each hand, narrowed to a sharp point and wicked split just under the eyes made the impression of a mouth. With a flick of his hand, Prometheus commanded his golems to leap forward into battle.

He had a relic to find.

* * *

The sound of metal against stone echoed once again through the ruins of the castle. North swords clanged against the stone golems. They didn't do much but push them back. On the chance that he did land a good blow, the cracks he created only stitched themselves back together.

Bunnymund wasn't fairing any better, his boomerangs doing next to nothing. Egg bombs, hidden in the front of his belt as Alex found out, did a bit more than make cracks. There concussive blasts not only held the golems back but created huge craters in their stone. They could heal themselves easily, but it took time for holes that big.

Jack was arguably doing the best. Ice completely incased the golems, leaving them immobile and useless. Unfortunately, like in Mongolia, red energy seeped from the ice like steam and sunk into the ground only to form a new golem.

Alex and Tooth worked together to take down their share. An arrow to the chest or limbs created huge craters and turned the stone to ash. Tooth or her mini fairies would fly by at high speeds, their razor sharp wings cutting through the bodies with ease.

_CRACK!_

A golem arced through the air. It landed face down in the middle of the courtyard and disintegrated on contact. Sandy flew out from the dark stairwell with another golem wrapped tight in a dreamsand whip. He snapped the sand above his head and with a sound like a cannon, the second met the same fate as the first.

With a blast of ice, Jack took out his fifth golem. The mountain of frozen stone crumbled to the ground just as the others had before it. He frowned as red smoke left the body to find another. At this rate, they'd be here forever. If they wanted to beat these demonic puppets, they'd have to cut the strings from the master himself. His eyes drifted from the fight and over to the crumbling wall where Prometheus had made his dramatic appearance. It was empty. Jack blasted a golem that had gotten too close and raised himself above the battle. The God with the red cloak was nowhere to be seen. A flash of sand fireworks and the sound of jingling bells caught his attention. Sandy dropped another golem as he waved his hands in the air, a giant sand arrow above his head. The stairwell?

The Nibirus Relic!

The snake had gone ahead and left his creations to fight for him! Jack plummeted through the air headed for the underground room.

_SMACK!_

A golem caught him by the hoodie and threw him to the ground. It towered above him and opened its split of a mouth in a stone-grinding screech. Teeth, too large for them to possibly fit, were sharp and pointed like its stone fingers. The golem raised its hands up to smash his face Hulk style when its head exploded in flash of gold light. Its face and upper chest was nothing more than crumbling ash.

He swung with his staff. A smack to its large weak spot followed by an ice-fueled jab launched the stone creature off him and through the air.

"You're welcome." Alex smirked as she lowered her bow.

"Yeah, thanks, but we've got to get back downstairs. He's headed for the relic!"

Alex cast her gaze down the impossibly dark hole. A glow of blood red periodically reached through the darkness. She jumped to fly down the stairs but was immediately stopped. A stone hand burst from the ground and snatched her ankle. In a bone-crushing grip, the golem pulled her to the floor as it grew from the stone. She kicked at the hand before she formed a golden arrow. The bowstring released and a bolt of gold energy burst the golems face into a crater of ash. Too bad it had no effect on its hand.

"Let go!" She yelled.

She could feel her bones grinding together under the pressure. She pulled her bowstring back as the arm was completely frozen over in a flash of white. An arrow of golden energy later and the arm was no more than rubble.

"You're welcome." Jack echoed back.

His staff shot up and a bolt of ice flew just over her shoulder. The golem froze only a few centimeters behind her, its arm outstretched to crush her skull.

"These guys are just going to keep coming unless we stop 'whatshisname'." He warned as he froze a golem that had snuck up behind North.

Alex had let the other Nibirus Relic get taken from her hands. She wasn't going to let the same thing happen twice.

"I'll go ahead, you help the others!" She shouted flying off down the stairwell.

"Hey, wait!"

Jack couldn't exactly follow her. She had just made it underground as two more golems formed in the place of the one they had just destroyed.

* * *

Prometheus cursed as he threw bolt after bolt of red energy at the stone circle. He could not get it to move under his own power. He cursed Ganesha for not telling him about the Relics before. He cursed the Guardians for making him waste energy on waves of never ending Golems. He cursed himself for not being strong enough to open Mahrem's _infuriatingly obvious_ stone well. Not only could he feel the Relic a few feet below, calling out to him, the large circular stone capping off the well was illustrated with the symbols of the Nibirus Relics.

He stopped the rain of red energy and sighed. He knew his brother well enough to know he wouldn't have just left the Relic unprotected. Prometheus cast his gaze to the dark floor around him. Mahrem had etched more symbols into the ground around the well. He could not manipulate the earth near the well. Mahrem had protected that too. Perhaps if he had a better view of the symbols, he could figure out what he needed to do. After all, his brother wasn't the most practiced when it came to runes and symbols of power. Unlit torches adorned the walls between stone pillars and mounted weapons. He aimed a fist at the closest one. His skin lit up with the blood red energy, flickering as if it were affected by a non-existent wind. He took a small breath in, and punched. The top of the wooden torch burst into a roar of red light before the fire dimmed to its natural orange glow. The floor around the torch lit up, the symbols beneath more visible.

Goosebumps erupted across the skin of his arms. Similar to ice running down his back, the feeling had returned. It gripped his heart in a strong hold and did not let go. It was more powerful this time around and it was not disappearing like it had before. The comfort he had felt earlier was back. It made his shoulders drop and his muscles unclench. It wrapped him in a cloth of invisible warmth and held him tight. And just as before, a second feeling waved over him a second later, overpowering the first. He was angry.

His breath had caught in his throat, so he knew the small gasp he heard had not come from him. The child from before had found her way out of the fight. She stood just at the bottom of the steps, a plain, wooden bow clasped tight in her left hand. A dark hand gripped the cloth of the off white garment she wore, just above her heart. Prometheus could see it in her eyes, those golden discs that seemed to glow unaided by the light of the single torch. She had felt what he had felt. She had felt it before, and she felt it now. Despite the look of confusion that grew on her face, something screamed at him in an angry voice that sounded like his own.

It was her!

She was causing this!

He did not know how or why, but he knew that she was the cause of the feeling. This familiar wave of _something_ that was distracting him from his purpose was her doing! He would not let a child waste his time. With another punch of red light, the torch just past her shoulder lit up like a bloody bonfire, before dimming to its natural color. She flinched at the sudden rush of energy, but did not make a move otherwise.

She was not clothed like someone who had great power, nor acted like she held great wisdom. Prometheus could even feel that the bow she held was not special. It was made of simple wood. This child was not a powerful or important spirit of any kind. Yet the wave of anger flooding his veins told him otherwise. She was familiar. She had done something. She was… no one. Prometheus had never met the girl before today. He was sure of it.

The girl dropped her hand from her chest. Finally out of whatever stupor had a hold of them both, she raised her bow and took a more defensive stance.

"What's your name, child." He asked as he collected himself once more.

The girl raised a dark eyebrow, obviously not expecting him to be civil.

"Alexandra." She said in a short, tense voice.

Hmm.

_Oh_.

Prometheus huffed and rolled his eyes. His brother in the sky had a real knack for dramatics and irony. He looked over the girl once more.

This child was the secret up his brother's sleeve? He had seen what had been done to his golems in Mongolia and knew that Jack Frost could not have been responsible. From the way that she had questioned his status earlier and how she now stood unsure of what to do next, despite her fighting stance, Prometheus doubted she knew what she was doing. Her name, position with the Guardians, and the fact that she was the only one to somehow avoid his golems told him all he needed to know.

She was fairly new recruit by what he remembers of the rag tag group of spirits. He wondered is she had come to the same realization he just had, now that she knew whom she was up against.

It's not likely. His brother had a knack for getting lowly spirits to fall in line with little question. She was just an absent minded pawn, nothing but cannon fodder.

He doubted if she even knew why she had been selected by Tsar Lunar. She had probably just took whatever the floating rock had told her like it was the secret of the universe.

"Something wrong with my name, _Prometheus."_ She frowned, adding emphasis on his name as if it was verbally disgusting.

He narrowed his eyes at that. Her tone suggested ignorance as to what he could do. Prometheus would just have to show her how little she actually meant. If she wanted to believe she was here because she was important or special, fine. He would be the one to tear her apart, lie by lie, bestowed upon her by the Moon.

"My name is nothing to jest about, child. It was the name humans worshipped for centuries as the one who brought them down from the trees. It was the name that took on hardships for their race and taught them how to walk upright and stand above the tall grass. It was the name given to me by the Earth herself as a beacon of light to humanity. My name, _Alexandra_, is no laughing matter."

Prometheus stood at his full height with his shoulders back, his hand clasped behind his back underneath his red cloak.

"Your name, however, seems to be the punch line to the joke." He smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She growled, her fingers tensed on the hemp string of the bow.

Prometheus smiled, eager to answer. He would be obliged to shred her spirit to pieces before smothering out her life. She had brought this upon herself, after all. He could still feel the effects of her power gripped tight around his beating heart.

"Oh, I bet you like to think you're so special, that your Man in the Moon selected you to be one of his Guardians. I bet they told you that you had been chosen, like they had. I bet they told you that with smiles on their faces, that you were chosen to help the children." He laughed.

"I don't know if you know this, your godliness, but that is kind of the point of the Guardians. You know, Guardians of Childhood. It's kind of in the title."

"Yes, but why had you not been chosen before? Do you not find it odd how long it took for you to learn of who you were facing? My brother was always one of ulterior motives."

She was silent and allowed for him to continue. He could see it in her eyes, the doubt. This would be easier than he thought.

"Why did he not choose you until the fighting had long began?"

* * *

This was getting her nowhere, but it had distracted him well enough. She wasn't stupid. She knew she couldn't fight him herself. His ability to control endless amounts of golems above and fire off shots down here had already proven that. As long as she kept him talking, the Guardians would have more time to clear the field and get down here themselves.

"It's funny, actually. That you haven't realized it yet or that your _friends_, the Guardians, haven't either. Or maybe they have, and they haven't the heart to tell you. My brother did always pick the soft ones to do his bidding."

Alex stayed silent at the question. She knew the Man in the Moon had chosen her because of her powers, because she could fight. The Guardians were selected to help children and that's what she was doing. If this _god_ were to succeed in opening the Tartarean Pit, she was pretty sure it wouldn't be good for any children.

Or the planet for that matter.

He did hold a good question, though she would never admit it. Why had the Moon waited so long to select her? Why hadn't he chosen her just after she crawled out of the Brazilian waters? This plan of Prometheus' had been going on for centuries, so why had she been selected, _born,_ so…late? Alex didn't say any of this out loud. She didn't want her opponent to think he had got the better of her.

Most villains had a weakness for the winded monologue. They would go on about the hero being beneath the villain. It was usually just an ego stroker and it ended up telling the hero more about the villain's plan. The man before her seemed intent on getting her to question her loyalty. It didn't matter what he said, so long as he kept saying it.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" She said, exasperated.

"Your name, _Alexandra_, is greek," He smiled. "A language I happened to teach the humans. It means _defender of man_."

"So?"

"So, you are a soldier. The Moon created you with skills no doubt useful in a fight. He named you as a defender in the tongue I created."

Prometheus smirked at Alex, almost as if he were giddy that he knew something she didn't.

"Oh, you have a special purpose, alright. It's right there in your name, and whatever power you have. I could tell you," He said nonchalantly, looking around the room as if he had nothing better to do. " But could you handle the truth?"

She remained silent. He was going to tell her anyway. Prometheus sighed as if she didn't understand how simple he was making this.

"The truth,_ Alexandra_, is that the Moon is scared. The Man in the Moon is terrified of me! He sees how close I am and he is afraid of my inevitable victory. He is afraid of death. He created you in his fear. To protect himself, he created you!"

There it is, the 'I'm way better than the good guys' portion of this speech. Although, and she didn't like to admit it, it sort of made sense. Why else would he choose her as a Guardian? It's not like she actually did anything for kids.

Wait.

She not actually listening to him right? He's winding her up on purpose, she knew that. It was something all bad guys did in their speeches. She wouldn't let him get the best of her. Alex only had to keep him talking until the others arrive. The god was spouting nothing but nonsense. He didn't really know anything. It was just a trick to take her off her guard. It was a trick to make her loose her focus.

To make her angry.

"He created his own little soldier and named you in the tongue of my creation. Your sole purpose in life is to protect the moon, to defend this pitiful planet, from me. You are not powerful and you hold no purpose outside of this battle. _Defender of Man_. Your entire existence is a walking joke! It is a wonder you have not figured it out yet. All brawn and no brains, working on gut instincts and the words from desolate rock in space. You have no real use to the Guardians outside of a battle. My brother probably suspects you wont make it out alive. After all, what use is a soldier to the experience of childhood? You are not responsible for dreams or care for memories. You do not bring joy or hope or fun. You are nothing but the product of war brought on by an old god, too wrapped up in his own survival. You are a-"

_THWIP!_

Prometheus stumbled a few feet back. His face obscured in a quick burst of golden light. He hadn't even seen the arrow.

Alex would do all she could to help the Guardians and aid in distraction, but she would not let some stranger talk as if she were nothing but a tool. She lowered her bow only slightly to see Prometheus' shocked face. It hadn't done any real damage, but he had not expected for her to be so quick.

"My name is Alexandra, the greatest adventurer on Earth! You will respect my name and I will _show_ you my power and my _purpose._" She yelled, Prometheus' original words shot back at him. "Do not speak as if you know me."

His eyes widened as she formed a new arrow, its form crackling like a golden lightning bolt. She fired just as he threw up a red hand. The two energies met in a flash of gold and red sparks. She fired again and he blocked, the reaction just the same. The arrows had zero effect on his energy and did nothing to wear him down. With each arrow to hand explosion, Prometheus' face grew angrier and angrier. He formed a small ball in between arrow shots and punched it towards her face. Alex dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the hit. She pulled the bowstring back and formed another arrow. A hand shot out and grabbed the bow, pointing it up as it fired. The arrow hit the stone ceiling with a shaking _BOOM_. Cracks formed across the smooth surface and stretched across the room.

Prometheus ripped the bow from her hands and glanced down at its wood.

"Who gave you this bow!" He yelled, glaring at her with such intensity. "It should not have that power!"

"It's not the bow, idiot," She growled, her hands coming together, one on top of the other. "It's me!"

_BAM!_

She smacked Prometheus under the chin with a golden war hammer. He was thrown to the middle of the room under the glowing force. The hammer was having a hard time retaining its shape. Unlike the fight in Mongolia, Alex wasn't focused on creating a perfect weapon. The hammer's outline furiously crackled and shifted, much like her bows.

"This is what the Moon has created!? This is what he thinks will stop me!" He yelled, staggering to his feet. "This is blasphemy of the highest degree!"

"I'll show you blasphemy!" Alex shouted as she spun her hammer like the God of Thunder himself.

* * *

The ground below them shook with a force a lot stronger than the one that had revealed their mysterious villain. The Guardians looked around at each other, confused. The battle had just…stopped. North pushed the tip of his sword into the motionless chest of the golem before him. It fell backwards without a fight and hit the ground with a solid _THUMP._ As if he had flipped a switch, the golems surrounding the group cracked and crumbled away. It was as if time had suddenly infected the stone monsters, rotting them from the inside. Red energy lifted from the stone and seeped into the ground like it had every time one of the golems had been defeated. Only this round, new ones did not pull themselves from the remains of the fallen.

Bunnymund's ears twitched this way and that. He waited for the sound of groaning rock. Sandy and Jack hovered above the crumbling walls of the ruins as they watched for movement. The stone was as still as it had been for centuries.

"What just happened?" Tooth asked as she lowered herself closer to the others.

"I am not so sure." North answered as he scanned the rubble. "Golems just stopped fighting."

The group jumped as the ground shook again. Some of the less secure stone pillars finally tumbled down into the growing pile of rubble. The earth below them groaned as if the mountain was about to crumble away beneath them.

"Where is Just Alex?" North asked looking around for the small archer.

"Oh man," Jack mumbled.

He glanced down towards the dark staircase that led deep into the mountain. Dim flashes of red and gold barely made it through the black.

"She went ahead to save the Relic!" He shouted, dropping to the mouth of the stairs. "It's not over yet."

* * *

**I have no clue when chapter 10 will be up. I want to say a chapter a week, but this no internet thing is killing me**

**Reviews keep me going.**


	10. Scaramouche

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**I want to thank Seldomselcouth for all the criticing that has been done. Guys, we're coming along. Can you feel the plot thickening!?**

**Well, between this story and my youtube videos, I might drive myself insane without the internet.**

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**Scaramouche**

**He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad. —Raphael Sabatini, Scaramouche**

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Explosions of light ripped through the large dark room underneath the mountain. Sparks of gold and red showered the two opponents as their energies reacted violently to one another. Alex swung her weapon without pause, the war hammer crackled with each movement. Prometheus did not dodge her hits. He met them head on with an open hand. His energy formed a flat, red shield. Though the energy itself did not affect him, the force of the girl's hits was beginning to take a toll on his muscles. Alex, with fury behind every strike, almost didn't notice.

Almost.

With each hit, Prometheus' blood red, energy shield began to change. It did not weaken or crack. It did not grow or shrink. It lightened. The dark, bloody red of the shield lightened in color with each hit. It was now a red Alex was more familiar with. The color reminded her less of a brutal death and more of security. It was the red seen in national flags and picnic blankets. It was the red of fresh strawberries and the paint of sports cars in the summer.

She jumped back from her last hit to give herself some room. Her fury slowly died down and was replaced with curiosity. Had she done that? She had seen what her energy did when it reacted with his golems. Was she causing his power to change? She still couldn't get over the fact that his wispy, fire like energy had actually solidified when he used it as a shield.

Prometheus looked down at his hands and noticed the colors. His chest heaved as he took in large gulps of breath. His face didn't look surprised to Alex. He just looked as if he were simply observing his hands, turning them over to inspect them more. Prometheus glanced back up to Alex. From across the room, she could see his eyes had changed as well. No longer did they look like demonic rings. They were now the same new shade as his energy.

He was silent. The only sounds came from their lungs as both of them take huge amounts of air in. He continued to look at her, not staring, but searching for something on her person. He did not scowl or smirk or glare as he had been in the previous minutes. His face was blank, save for small scrunch his eyebrows made from looking across the room.

Prometheus' eyes finally wandered down to the golden hammer still in her fists. It had finally frozen to a solid form once she got control of her anger. Whatever he was looking for, he found, and he did not like. His head tilted to the side and his face contorted into something almost like a sneer. As if he wanted to be angry, but could not bring himself to pull together the effort for the right emotion.

"You can not do that. It is not real. It is nothing but a trick." he said lowly.

Alex was pretty sure he was talking to himself more than he was to her. She glanced down at her weapon before looking back at the god.

"It wasn't a trick when I destroyed your golems and it isn't a trick now. I don't think a trick could knock you on your ass."

Prometheus closed his eyes and shook his head like a kid about to start a tantrum. He clenched his fists and his energy all but died away.

"No. No! This is not real. You are not real! An imitation. A fake. I will not believe it. I refuse!"

Alex raised an eyebrow at that. What was with the 360? Not five minutes ago, he called her a pawn with a singular purpose, something for the Moon to use. Now he acted as if she really didn't exist. Like she was just a hallucination.

Prometheus' voice didn't hold the same malice it had before. It was soft and fleeting, despite the angry words he spoke and the heavy breaths he took. His eyes were clenched shut and his brow furrowed. She lowered her weapon uncomfortably. It could be a trick to get her to lower her guard, but Prometheus seemed like a god to prideful to act this way.

"An imitation?" she asked.

He put his hands on his ears to block out her voice. He looked more like child than he did a god.

"You are not him. I will not believe it. The Moon would not allow it. He would not replace us. He would not replace…"

She was seriously confused now.

"What are you talking about?"

Prometheus did not answer, but he did open his eyes. He did not look at her, but at the ceiling. Blood red energy drifted in from the rock above them. It moved like the smoke from the golems' bodies when they were destroyed. Actually, it probably was from the golems, seeing as it drifted in from the top of the mountain. Prometheus raised his hands as if he were to grab it from the air. The energy, just before it came in contact with his reaching fingers, lightened from the dark bloody red to the bolder bright red from before. Prometheus watched in surprise, almost as if he had not seen the exact same thing happen a few seconds before.

Well that definitely wasn't Alex's doing. That drifted in after the fight. Prometheus' hands balled up into tight fists, his power danced on his skin. It glowed and moved like oil on water, just below the surface. Alex tilted her head at that.

Prometheus' eyes closed shut and he shook his head fiercely. His powers, just for a second, wavered. Blood red eyes snapped opened and glared at Alex from across the stone room. Energy surrounded his fists like blazing fires. The color back to its original bloody hue.

"I was wrong." he stated.

He stood to his full height; all the god-like rage filled his body once more. His shoulders rolled back in a dominant stance and his sneer returned.

"I now see the true side of my brother. He is more ruthless than I had remembered."

Alex held the hammer in front of her. Her bow was a few feet behind her. It was laid against the wall where it had been thrown earlier. Long ranged attacks were no longer available, and she would now have to wait for the seething god to come in close.

"You are not just his pawn with a singular purpose."

With each step he took forward, Alex wanted to take one step back. She knew she should not back down and show fear, but the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise as he moved in closer. Goosebumps covered her skin as his eyes grew darker with rage.

"You are my punishment. My tormentor for what I have done. The Moon thinks he can do whatever he wants and no one will be the wiser. They are all gone. He will not create a shadow in their image. I will not allow it."

All pretenses of distraction left her mind. She was about to turn tail and run.

"You are nothing but a cheap copy. Something dear old brother made in his madness. You are not like him and you are not like us. I will not allow the Moon to replace us with a collection of pathetic imitations. With shadows! Ranamorr will rise up from the Tartarean Pit and swallow the Moon for his treacherous actions, and I will rip you from you very existence with my bare hands. Piece by piece. Limb by limb. He cannot replace us. He will not replace me!"

His fiery hands whipped beneath his cloak. There, held tight by a twice-wrapped golden belt, was a black wooden scepter. An ice white stone sat atop its spindly fingers. The moment his hand grasped the black item, the stone responded. It shined with the same blood red energy that leaked from its holder's hands. With a sound of a lightening strike, Prometheus swung the scepter before him and the room went white.

* * *

Half way down the dark staircase, the Guardians stopped. It was silent and it had been silent since they had entered the hole in the ground. North, the farthest down the steps, could see a light at the bottom. The only problem was, it wasn't like the lights that had escaped the darkness earlier. A white light, brighter than the sun, rushed into the stone staircase followed by a gust of wind that almost knocked them all back. The mountain around them groaned in response and the sound of a large heavy stone being destroyed echoed after.

* * *

Alex slowly opened her eyes. The power in that one little stick was intense. The light had been like a concussive force, knocking her halfway across the room and on to her back. The smooth stonewalls around her were barely recognizable. They had been completely destroyed. There were no more symbols etched into the floor and the mounted weapons had all but disintegrated. Large pieces of the ceiling began to fall away. The only thing that had saved her from becoming a stain among the rubble was the thin golden shield before her. It wasn't large, but her body, curled into a half fetal position with her arms protecting her head, fit behind it perfectly. The shield was flat, round, and solid. It had not cracked under the force of the explosion. Not even the stone beneath her body had been touched.

Alex took a big breath in to steady herself. She had been pretty sure that was her end. As the dust settled around her, she slowly uncurled herself from behind the shield. It did not waver or move as her arms untangled themselves. Actually, she didn't remember putting the shield up. The blast had caught her by surprise. She had never made a shield before, as she had never been in an actual battle, and didn't even know she could make one. The shield, very similar to the one Prometheus created, had appeared all on its own. It must have reacted to whatever that stone in the scepter was. She put a finger to the very center. That was her energy, alright. It shimmered at her touch then dissolved into smoke before it drifted into her hands.

Alex's eyes widened at the energy that danced in her hands. It glowed and moved like oil on water, just below the skin, like it always did. She quickly clenched her fists and forced it to die down. Her hands hit the stone floor as she forced herself up. Not five inches away, her bow sat, completely untouched by the destruction. She must have gotten thrown back towards it.

That was lucky.

It would have been ash if it weren't for the shield. She stretched her fingers around the old wood. She took comfort at its familiar feel as she looked across the clouds of slowly settling dust.

In the middle of the now dark room, a figure stood just past a large hole in the ground. He held a baseball bat sized stick one hand and a rectangular _something_ in the other. With his back to her, the figure slashed with the stick, like a sword cutting through an invisible opponent. The air ripped itself apart as a blood red portal burst into existence. Alex narrowed her eyes as the portal illuminated the room just a bit. Her brain finally connected to what she was seeing.

Prometheus had the Nibirus Relic.

"Prometheus. Stop!" A deep voice shouted.

Alex looked over her shoulder in surprise. North pushed a piece of the still crumbling ceiling out of the way as he made it out of the stairs. A glowering Bunnymund quickly followed him. Prometheus turned from his escape route to face the large man as he spoke.

"You are one of First Twelve. Why do you do this?"

Prometheus' natural scowl turned into an angry grimace.

"You, Nicholas St. North, have no right to question me. I _was_ one of the First Twelve. They are gone now."

His red eyes turned from the emerging group to the girl off to the side. She had somehow escaped the destruction of the scepter. That only seemed to make him angrier.

"They will _never_ return," he said to her alone. "Tell my traitorous brother that Judgment Day is upon him."

Jack made his way past the collapsing mouth of the stairs. His eyes immediately landed on the archer halfway between safety and their deranged villain. He jumped into the air, set on getting her close. Prometheus caught the movement and swung the scepter up to aim.

"No!" Alex warned.

Jack froze as her empty hand shot up to keep him from advancing. He glanced nervously between her and the seething god in front of them. Alex wasn't really sure how big she could make that shield. She didn't know if it would hold a second time.

Prometheus' grip tightened around the scepter, but he did not fire. He had what he needed. The Nibirus Relic was held tight in his right hand. He had take too long; the girl had distracted him. Now he was low on energy.

"We can not allow Relic to leave this mountain. Prometheus, stop this senseless fighting. It is not right." North pleaded.

Prometheus' head lowered, but his arm stayed strong.

"Right? Would you like to know what is not _right_? Humans not seeing us. They used to worship my family on hand and foot. They acknowledged us and prayed for our guidance. We were once gods. But now," He sighed; his eyes were unfocused as he looked at something the others could not see. "Now, we need belief. They have to believe in us to see us. Now, we are nothing more than dying myths. My mother forced this upon my siblings, and the Moon made you just the same. They all agreed that we should just be forgotten! Nothing more than half remembered words from a long lost story. No. No! I deserve this! I deserve to be seen! I deserve to be _remembered_! I will not be replaced!" He shouted.

The ice white stone began to glow again. Prometheus raised his head to glare at the archer.

"I was here long before you and I shall remain long after you have been wiped from this desolate rock. Ranamorr will bring me to my long awaited glory, and you will be nothing more than a faint memory."

Jack moved closer to the girl, his staff ready to fire. Prometheus caught the movement and growled. He actually growled. The sound carried across the room and shivers ran down their spines. That was the sound of a man whose sense was long gone.

The stone on the scepter grew brighter and the Guardians knew their time was up. Prometheus lowered the scepter and aimed at Jack's heart. His finger clenched-

_THWIP!_

A golden arrow shot across the room. Prometheus' wrist was struck with a force as strong as the war hammer. His arm was pushed up towards the ceiling and with a sound of a second lightening strike; the room went white once again.

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300 miles west of the Caspian Sea, in a strange circular clearing in the middle of the desert, the air ripped itself in half as a blood red portal burst into existence. The large portal opened just at the edge of the area, just under a large boulder that poked out of the sand like a giant's finger clawing its way from beneath the desert. It shined bright, despite the warm rays from the early, rising sun. It pulsed rhythmically and periodically as if it were tuned into a silent heartbeat. The air was pulled in from the surrounding area. It whipped up the small trails of sand from the large stone circle in the middle of the clearing. A loud buzzing, like millions of angry bees, was the only sound the portal made when it appeared.

A single pulse of white light broke through the bloody red and a man was tossed out into the desert. He landed flat on his back, wood and stone flying from his hands. The portal beat once, then twice, out of sync with its earlier rhythm, and collapsed in on itself. The sound of angry buzzing disappeared with portal, and the desert was silent once more.

Prometheus struggled to catch his breath as he looked at his surroundings. The scepter had not gone far, just a few inches from his left hand. The Nibirus Relic laid an arms length away, closer to the stone circle than Prometheus. The red and gold clad god pulled himself to a sitting position as he got control over the air rushing in and out of his lungs. His left hand reached for the black scepter, eager to have it back in its hold. Thin fingers gripped the wood and hoisted it to his lap.

_ARGH!_

The scepter plopped onto his legs as his arm spasmed in pain. Slowly, with his right hand, Prometheus pulled the black fabric away from his skin. The sight was not something he had wanted to see. That _girl_ and her infuriating arrows had scored a hit against his wrist, unprotected by his own energy. Now his skin looked as if it had been contaminated with an illness. Angry red splotches covered his arm, from palm to elbow, like a rash of almost burned skin. It was not broken and he did not bleed, but he could feel the effects of the attack down in his bone.

She had actually hurt him.

No spirit was strong enough to do that. His siblings had all been powerful gods, each equal in strength and invulnerability. Prometheus had needed the help of Ranamorr before he could even think of taking on his brothers and sisters. But now, this…this child had not only marred his skin, but had drained him of his power in the fight and left him without the energy to heal himself. The only beings who could do anything close to that were-

No.

_No!_

He would not fall prey to his brother's tricks. He did not know how the Moon had done it, but he will not let this…shadow, this disgustingly realistic illusion play him for a fool. Ten had fallen and the Moon would be the eleventh. Prometheus would mark the passing of the Twelve Gods and he would not let some mimicking bug ruin their name.

He stowed the scepter in his belt with his right hand, his left arm cradled close to his chest. With slow and exhausted steps, Prometheus picked the Nibirus Relic from where it had landed. The sound of stone on stone echoed through the silent area as the Relic slid into the eleventh slot along the rim of the circle. The Tartarean Pit was like the face of a clock, the Nibirus Relics replaced the numbers of the hours. The twelfth and final slot sat next to the eleventh, empty as it waited for its Relic.

Prometheus would need to consult the map. The final Nibirus Relic would soon reveal itself. The end was within his sights, but the Guardians stood as an obstacle in his path. They had somehow known the position of the eleventh and had arrived at the Ruins of Mahrem's Palace before him. He did not know how they knew, but he could not afford for them to find the twelfth before him.

At the thought of moving from the spot, his body protested. Prometheus could feel his physical form betray him. His muscles and skin ached from wounds new and old. His bones were weary from nonstop use. He could not remember the last time he ate, let alone slept. Prometheus shook the thoughts from his head. His body would have to wait. He had a job to do. He had so much he had to do. Everything counted on him and him alone. As he turned to head towards his temporary home, the scepter along his waist made him pause.

The ice white stone glowed with a bloody light. It called not only to him, but to the stone circle itself. The stone circle was solid and flat, cut from a light grey rock thousands of years before. At the center of the stone, like the one that had protected Mahrem's Relic, was a picture of the Earth carved deep into its surface. The symbols of the Nibirus Relics wrapped around the carving like a ring, the square slots at the stone's edge made another.

Though he could not see it, the Beast below beckoned him closer. Ranamorr called to him without an audible voice, but Prometheus could hear him regardless. No actual words were spoken, but he still understood.

_Stay._

_Rest._

_Wait._

Ranamorr knew what was best after all. He was the one who showed him the light. He was the one that raised him from his suffering. He had guided him before, and he would guide him now. The Final Nibirus Relic would find its way home. He only had to wait.

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The sleigh ride back to Santoff Clausen had been quiet. Nearly silent. They were bruised and tired, slightly disappointed, and wanted nothing more than to sit on something that wasn't hard or wooden. The sleigh ride back to the North Pole had been awkward, but not nearly as awkward as this.

Aanka was perched at the edge of the long table where they had left him. His wings outstretched on either side and his eyes were bright and big. He had remained silent when they had first walked in, but his feathers had shook with anticipation. His body bounced lightly on his feet, his talons hanging off the wooden edge. Now, however, he remained completely still with his wings tucked under his beak.

"So? How did it go? The Relic is safe, I assume. Thought you have returned a lot faster than I imagined. I know Mahrem's Palace has been destroyed, but I expected nothing but the best protection for his Relic."

North and Sandy exchanged troubled glances. Tooth looked saddened and exhausted, Bunnymund was not looking any better. Jack had a hand on the back of his neck, his eyes looking anywhere but the Saw-Whet's. Alex's face remained stoic. Her eyes were cast to the floor. Her bow had been returned to its spot on her back, but her fists clenched and unclenched like they needed something to hold.

"Well, come on. Where is it? You don't have it in your hands, but perhaps you've hidden it. I thought we had agreed that I would watch the Relics until they were all collected. Why do you all look so down?"

"Aanka," North started with his voice low. "We do not have Relic."

"Well, obviously. I can see that. Tell me, where have you hidden it, then? I hope that it is in a place far from our nefarious mastermind's grimy paws."

"Aanka, you misunderstand. We do not have relic…at all."

Aanka's wings dropped. His feathers did not shake and his body gave off one of defeat. His eyes, however, remained large and unblinking.

"W-what?"

"We didn't get the bloody relic, alright! Prometheus showed up and-"

"P-prometheus!? One of the twelve? I thought they were gone!"

"Yeah," Jack mumbled. "So did we."

Aanka ignored his comment. He refused to believe what was right in front of him.

"Well, if he is still alive, then…excellent! The relic is in great custody! Perhaps we should consult with him on the deeds that have fallen upon us. As one of the last gods he is bound to help-"

"Listen, bird brain! We didn't get the relic because Prometheus took it. He's the bad guy." Bunnymund explained.

"N-no. You are mistaken. I see where you could make that mistake. He is one of the twelve. He would do whatever was necessary to-"

"He's going to open the pit," Alex said quietly. She didn't raise her head or voice, but they all heard her nonetheless. "The Great Darkness that you talked about... its name is Ranamorr."

The owl's eyes scanned the girl for any sign of a lie. It was obvious he did not want to believe what he was hearing. He had to be sure he had all of the facts laid in front of him before he could come to a conclusion. That was what The Great Ganesha had taught him.

"Ranamorr? That is not a name. That is not even a word! I do not know where you are getting your information, _child_, but-"

Alex clenched her fists tight at the word. Child. She was 85 years old; she wasn't a _child._ She was getting sick of people assuming shit about her just because they don't know her.

"That's what he told me. Prometheus, one of your precious gods. The words came from his mouth_. Ranamorr will rise up from the Tartarean Pit and swallow the Moon for his treacherous actions. _He said it enough times that it's not something I'm gonna forget."

"He actually said that?" Jack asked. "What else did he say?"

Alex looked up at his question. The other Guardians looked curious as well. Aanka simply looked confused.

"W-wait. Were you not all there when he arrived?" the owl asked.

"Just Alex went ahead to by us some time. Golems were much stronger than we believed." North explained.

"A-and that was it? That was all he said to you?"

Alex nodded in response.

"Just the usual bad guy monologue."

She left out the part where he wanted to tear her to pieces in a bloody rage and the fact that she was a 'one time use' for the Moon. She felt those were better left unsaid and locked away for the time being.

"S-so it is your fault."

_What?_

Aanka jumped from his perch to a nearby chair. The extra height allowed for him to leer over Alex by a few inches. His feathers ruffled to an angry volume and a wingtip poked her in the chest.

"You let him get away!"

She slapped the appendage away and glared at the bird.

"Yeah, right! I just let him walk out of the mountain with the key to Earth's destruction," she snapped, the sarcasm heavy on her tongue. "Did your scrolls tell you that?"

"It does not sound like you did much else to stop this apocalypse. In fact, I would say you have not done much at all. You have now allowed for two Nibirus Relics to be taken. For all we know, you could be working against us!"

"Aanka!" Tooth shouted.

The owl turned to the other Guardians, his eyes glowing with disbelief.

"How can you be so blind? This _child_ has done nothing but hinder us at every step! Why else would Prometheus tell her his plans? You all admitted to being absent when she faced him. It does not sound like she fought back at all! How do we not know she is not the one helping him open the Tartarean Pit?"

His yellow eyes returned to the girl, his glare matching hers.

"You appear from nowhere to help with a scheme that has been going on for centuries. You have long mysterious talks with our villain and will not give us the details. I was given a duty by one of the twelve gods and I will not allow some as insignificant as you to ruin it."

_BONK!_

The hook of the wooden staff hit the top of Aanka's head. His eyes and beak snapped shut as his wings attempted to soothe the pain.

"I don't know if you remember this, but she is a Guardian! She was chosen by the Moon, you know, Tsar Lunar. One of the twelve gods." Jack defended.

Sandy shook a pointed finger at the owl spirit. A dreamsand moon materialized above his head along with a capital 'G'.

"It's not her fault the Relics were taken. She's fought hard, right along side us."

"Just Alex is valuable part of our group. We believe in her and so should you." North warned.

The large man leaned back and stroked his beard for a second.

"She would not be here if _you_ had not had your Relic taken in first place. She is only here to help. Right?"

North gestured at Alex for her to speak up and defend herself. He blinked at her silence before he turned to look at the girl. The spot she had stood at a few seconds before was empty. Alex walked away from the group, feet slapping hard against the wood floor, before she lost her temper and set feathered spirit on fire.

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**Well, well, well. The big 1 OH. I can't believe the chapter count is in the double digits. That's momentous for me! This story is winding down as we've hit the halfway point! I've got some videos to edit, so I'm just going to leave this here for you.**

**As always, please review! They make my heart warm in the absence of my internet.**


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